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TEACHERS’ MANUAL 

FOR 

THE AMERICAN READERS 
FOR CATHOLIC SCHOOLS 

BY 

REV. JAMES HIGGINS 

i) „ _ . 

AUTHOR OF “THE STORY EVER NEW,” “STORIES OF 
GREAT HEROES,” “FUNDAMENTALS OF 
PEDAGOGY,” ETC. 

THE SCHOOL SISTERS OF NOTRE DAME 

AND 

MARY CHRISTINA AUSTIN 

AUTHOR OF “VERSES FOR VARIOUS OCCASIONS,” AND 
EDITOR OF “ THE NORTH AMERICAN TEACHER” 



D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY 

BOSTON NEW YORK CHICAQO LONDON 

ATLANTA SAN FRANCISCO DALLAS 


Nihil Obstat 


Imprimatur 


April 29, 1925 


PEli£5 

Msz 

Patrick J. Waters, Ph.D. 
Censor Librorum 


William Cardinal O’Connell 
Archbishop of Boston 



2 H 7 

COPYRIGHT, 1927 

BY D. C. HEATH AND COMPANY 
PRINTED IN U.S.A. 

SEP 29’27 

©Cl 61004414 


CONTENTS 

PAGE 

I. First Grade Activities.1 

II. Suggestions for the Teacher .... 10 

III. The Work of the First Grade .... 14 

IV. The Pre-Primer Work Outlined ... 18 

V. The Primer Work Outlined . . . .110 

VI. The First Reader Work Outlined . . .215 

VII. Helpful Books on the Subject .... 289 
VIII. Special Music. 291 













INTRODUCTION 


At the present time, nearly all teachers of primary reading 
agree that a Teachers’ Manual is a prime necessity for any 
successful series. Prompted by this conviction, the authors 
of the American Readers for Catholic Schools have prepared 
a Teachers ’ Manual for the Pre-Primer, the Primer, and the 
First Reader of the series. 

In the opening chapters of this serviceable book, the 
teacher will find a brief yet adequate account of those 
activities which the teacher of reading must correlate in 
order to effect the fullest possible development of the child. 

These chapters are followed by a complete program for 
the Pre-Primer Period, that is, for the first four or five weeks 
of school. Everything connected directly or indirectly with 
the education of the pupils is outlined, not as something that 
must be followed to the letter by every teacher, but as a 
schedule that has been followed in several classrooms with 
more than ordinary success. 

The Pre-Primer program is followed by the sections 
devoted to the Primer and the First Reader. The first 
five or six reading lessons of each of these books are worked 
out in full to give the teacher an idea of the plan to be 
followed. For the other lessons only an outline is given, 
with special mention of the features to be stressed. 







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TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


i 

FIRST-GRADE ACTIVITIES 

Education Requires Activity. It is now a generally rec¬ 
ognized truth that the “ appropriate exercise of any faculty 
or power promotes its development.” As the boy who 
desires to grow physically must have bodily exercise, so the 
pupil who wishes to be educated must experience mental 
activity. There is no real education without self-activity. 
Anything then that arouses and stimulates the mind, — 
anything that causes the pupil to do purposive thinking, 
— anything that makes him work toward a definite end, — 
has educational value. 

At the beginning of this century, many persons had a nar¬ 
row and one-sided view of the educative process. To-day, 
however, thinking men and women are beginning to realize 
more and more that every experience which tends to modify 
the nature of the pupils and to form aright their character 
is a means of education. It makes no difference whether or 
not the experience comes from the home, the environment, 
the school, the State, or the Church, it undoubtedly serves 
to educate. 

The mental activities of school life vary in importance. 
Some are more educative than others. The question arises, 
“ How shall we evaluate them; by what standard shall we 
be guided?” Undoubtedly by the Christian standard* 
Whenever the mental activities tend to develop in the pupils 

l 


2 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


power to live according to Christian principles they are 
fulfilling the Catholic ideal in education. 

Physical Development. The physical work of the pupils 
should aim at control of the simpler and more fundamental 
muscular activities. This is brought about by walking, 
running, jumping, marching, playing games, simple dancing, 
and exercising the vocal organs. On entering school, many 
first-grade children have to be taught the most common 
things, such as buttoning their coats, putting on their rub¬ 
bers, etc. The muscles of the arms and the hands have to 
be developed in a special manner, in order that the pupils may 
be able to use the scissors in cutting, the crayon in drawing, 
the pencil and the pen in writing. Other muscles of the 
body have to be developed to enable the pupils to take part 
in and to enjoy the various games of childhood. First-grade 
teachers must always be on their guard lest they ask the 
pupils to do things that require highly skilled activities. 
Like everything else in the curriculum, the physical exer¬ 
cise must be adapted to the age and development of the 
pupils. The simplest muscular activities must be brought 
about through suitable play and interesting games. 

Sense Training. The more one studies the process of 
education in the primary grades, the more clearly does he 
perceive the close relation between sense training and mental 
development. Is it not a fact that the first-grade child gets 
practically all his knowledge by means of the senses? Note 
how much he uses the sense of sight, the sense of hearing, 
and the sense of touch in mastering the tasks that are set 
before him. The senses bring to the pupil a knowledge of 
the world about him, — a knowledge that cannot be obtained 
so well in any other way. This is why sense training forms 
an important part in the educative work of the first grade. 


FIRST-GRADE ACTIVITIES 


3 


Religious Practices and Spiritual Training. The early 
religious training of the primary grade should not be pre¬ 
dominantly intellectual. Neither should it be chiefly de¬ 
voted to memorizing texts. The religious education should 
be of the heart rather than of the head. The habit of saying 
morning and night prayers, devotion to the Child Jesus and 
His Blessed Mother, a realization of the watchful care of the 
Guardian Angel are “ Mustard Seeds ” which, if implanted 
into young hearts, strike deep roots and produce strong 
Catholic convictions in later life. The ceremonies, services, 
and sacramentals of the Church appeal strongly to youthful 
minds. Throughout the series of The American Readers for 
Catholic Schools will be found prose, poetry, song, and pic¬ 
tures which can be well used by the teacher to bring out in 
a most attractive way the beauties of religion and right 
living. 

Another fact to be borne in mind is this: The stronger 
the force applied to that which we wish to secure, the quicker 
and the more lasting are the results. If, therefore, in build¬ 
ing up the practices of virtue, we use the natural and super¬ 
natural appeals our results will be in proportion to their 
combined effect. Disregarding one or the other, we weaken 
our appeal. Often well-meaning religious teachers, while 
stressing the supernatural, underrate the value of the natural 
appeal to good. Man is a combined result of natural and 
supernatural. We read in Genesis that God made man and 
then breathed into him an immortal soul; the natural served 
as a foundation for the supernatural. In like manner super¬ 
natural virtues have their foundation in the natural virtues, 
and their combined influence has a stronger appeal than the 
appeal of either independent of the other. 

Social Development. As soon as the pupils enter school, 


4 


TEACHERS 7 MANUAL 


their social natures undergo many changes. They begin 
to realize that there are other children in the world, and that 
these have the same rights that they have. Their free and 
impulsive natures are toned down, and appropriate lessons 
in politeness and manners are learned. All this training, 
which at first sight seems trivial, has much to do with their 
future welfare. 

The Imagination. The most marked characteristic of the 
first-grade period is the rapid development of the imagina¬ 
tion. With the aid of comparison and contrast, the pupils 
perceive numerous associations. Their minds read more 
meaning into what they see, feel, and hear. Curiosity is 
easily aroused, and hundreds of educative questions come to 
their minds. To first-grade children, many plants and in¬ 
animate objects seem to be living realities. The ordinary 
things of life appear to be invested with unusual characteris¬ 
tics. On account of this highly imaginative ability, the 
pupils of the first grade are intensely interested in myths, 
legends, and fairy tales. The wonderful deeds of the great 
heroes of the past, the marvelous lives of the saints of God, 
the extraordinary adventures of children like themselves, 
engross their attention and enrich their experience. 

Play. Since all normal children love to play, teachers 
agree that the most natural and efficient way to begin the 
work of education is through play. Is not play the spon¬ 
taneous expression of child life? This is especially true of 
the pupils of the first grade. It is one of the most important 
factors in developing both physical and intellectual life. As 
a rule, exercises involving the simplest and easiest activities 
are best suited for the development of young children. 
Therefore, in the early school years play is the most effec¬ 
tive means of motivating learning. 


FIRST-GRADE ACTIVITIES 


5 


Gymnastics. The advisability of including physical train¬ 
ing in the elementary school curriculum is now generally 
recognized by educators, teachers, and citizens. Among the 
activities that tend to develop the body of the child, gym¬ 
nastic exercises have an important place, because they tend 
to counteract the undesirable habits of incorrect posture, 
they stimulate the nutritive functions, and they develop 
the psychological powers, particularly those of the will. In 
addition to this, outdoor and indoor gymnastics appeal very 
strongly to first-grade children and give added pleasure and 
interest to school work. 

Pictures. Among the most valuable aids in teaching first- 
grade pupils, pictures have an important place. The child, 
without being able to read a single word, can get many 
thoughts from viewing appropriate pictures. In these 
thoughts, there is generally something elevating, ennobling, 
and inspiring, — something that appeals strongly to the 
hearts of children. This is especially true of pictures rep¬ 
resenting child life in its various activities, as well as of 
those representing toys and animals. 

Drawing. There is a natural impulse in all human beings 
to express feeling in activity. Drawing undoubtedly is one 
of these activities. Is it not one of the oldest and most 
universal forms of expression? Drawing gives the pupils 
opportunity for the spontaneous expression of their feelings. 
It trains the eye to see and the hand to record. It opens 
the pupils’ vision to a contemplation of the beautiful. Is not 
the wonderful world in which we live made up of things of 
beauty? Does it not offer all children enjoyment and 
inspiration? As regards the actual work of the first-grade 
children, the teacher must stress the effort at self-expression 
and must strive to develop the muscles of the hands to ex- 


6 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


press a thought. She must give the pupils a love for what 
they are doing. She must do everything in her power to 
make it a part of their lives. 

Paper Cutting. This exercise generally produces mus¬ 
cular control, stimulates observation, and exercises the 
powers of comparison and judgment. It stands to reason 
that teaching the hand to do what the mind dictates is truly 
educational. 

Music. Good music is always a source of pleasure and 
enjoyment to children. It is not only elevating and inspir¬ 
ing, but it also contains something that warms the hearts 
of the listeners. For these reasons, every first-grade class¬ 
room should have a piano or a victrola, so that the pupils 
can be supplied with appropriate and worth-while selections 
once or twice a week, or even daily. Besides, the teacher 
may be able occasionally to get first-class musicians to play 
for the children. Thus can the pupils* appreciation of what 
is truly beautiful and artistic in music be developed. 

Songs. The singing of well-selected songs is among the 
most educative of the first-grade activities. There is some¬ 
thing about the songs of childhood that grips the attention 
of the pupils and makes the act of singing a real pleasure 
rather than a burdensome task. The songs for the first grade 
should be simple, rhythmical, and of musical value. The 
words, as a rule, should be real poetry within the compre¬ 
hension of the average pupil. The most suitable songs are 
those that fit in with the thought of the hour. If the teacher 
is telling about the birth of the Redeemer, the song for that 
day ought to supplement her teaching. This kind of corre¬ 
lation is helpful in all educational effort. 

Number Work. Incidental number work is another form 
of activity interesting to the pupils of the first grade. Chil- 


FIRST-GRADE ACTIVITIES 


7 


dren love to count things. Through counting and similar 
concrete experiences, they are introduced to number work 
in a pleasant and effective manner. 

Color Work. Filling in circles, triangles, or squares with 
different colors is another activity that appeals to little chil¬ 
dren. As soon as they recognize the printed symbols for 
the ordinary colors, they take pleasure in doing anything 
that gives them a chance to show their knowledge. This 
activity of filling in figures with different colors produces 
coordination of muscles, and skill which paves the way for 
writing and drawing. 

Writing. At the present time, there is considerable con¬ 
troversy as to the advisability of having a formal course of 
penmanship for the first grade. We believe that it is not 
for the best interests of little children to ask them to do any¬ 
thing that requires an expenditure of more than ordinary 
skill. Some courses of penmanship are not adapted to first- 
grade pupils. This does not mean that we wish to have no 
penmanship during the first year at school. We would in¬ 
troduce it gradually. We advise having the children write 
only exercises which give them pleasure. We would elimi¬ 
nate all work which savors of drudgery, or which lacks the 
satisfaction stimulated by successful accomplishment. 

The Story Period. This period is usually divided into 
three sections: (1) The 'preparation for the story; (2) The 
telling of the story by the teacher; (3) The time spent in empha¬ 
sizing the main points of the story. 

It is hardly necessary to insist on the importance of the 
story as a means of teaching. If you are not a firm believer 
in the educative value of stories, pay particular attention 
to the children while they are listening to one. Notice the 
eager faces, the tense silence, the long-drawn sigh at the 


8 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


end. These will tell you the impression that a story makes 
upon children. 

Every teacher should learn how to tell a story effectively. 
The need of this accomplishment is so keenly felt to-day that 
courses in story-telling are found in all high-grade normal 
schools and teachers’ colleges. 

Reproduction. There is a well-known saying, “ Impres¬ 
sion is deepened by expression.” For this reason, pupils 
should be required to reproduce the thought of the stories 
they read. Reproduction does more than deepen the 
impression ; it gives the pupil practice in oral English. This 
activity deserves to be stressed more than it has been in the 
past. Care should be taken, however, to focus attention 
on facts which are essential to the story plot. Caution 
should be observed in the conduct of the reproduction. 
Children should be encouraged to express the story facts in 
their own language, lest more formal phrasing of the story 
destroy that appreciation which is the real purpose of the 
telling and reading of the story. 

Dramatization. Little children are, in their own way, 
good actors. They love to imitate. Anything that requires 
action is to them a delight. They find it more pleasant and 
agreeable to move or act than to sit still. This is why 
dramatization is one of the chief educational activities of 
first-grade children. It helps them to enter into the spirit 
of the story. It makes the printed page speak to them as 
nothing else can. It gives them an opportunity to live what 
they read. It trains them in the habit of sifting out essential 
facts from unnecessary detail, — the basis of effective silent 
reading and study. 

Problems and Projects. The wide-awake first-grade 
teacher will readily find a number of problems and projects 


FIRST-GRADE ACTIVITIES 


within the range of her pupils. She realizes that children 
of school age are constantly carrying out projects and solv¬ 
ing problems of their own. These require the pupils to think 
as well as to study. In their own little way, they must pur¬ 
pose, plan, execute, and judge. Many simple projects grow 
out of situations in the child’s daily experience. Those proj¬ 
ects that call for the richest exercise of choice, comparison, 
and judgment on the part of the child are the most educa¬ 
tive. 

Patriotic Practices. Place a small flag in the hands of a 
little child. He immediately waves it. He wants to own it. 
Realizing the child’s frame of mind, the teacher begins to 
go through the simplest patriotic practices, such as march¬ 
ing with the flag, saluting the flag, and other flag drills. The 
pupils love to imitate the soldiers and sailors on parade. 
Their little hearts are filled with patriotic pride as they 
march around the room to the music of the victrola. There 
is in even the very youngest children an instinctive feeling 
for the flag, — a joy in seeing, handling, and saluting it. 

Seat Work. Bear in mind that the chief purpose of seat 
work is not merely to keep the pupils busy or out of mis¬ 
chief. Every exercise of seat work should be purposeful 
and educative. It must take into account the actual needs 
of the children. What precisely then should seat work do? 
It should do one of three things : (1) It should help to make 
clear any lesson that has already been presented in the class; 
(2) It should teach a new lesson ; (3) It should afford oppor¬ 
tunity for practice where some particular skill is required. 


II 


SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER 

Pre-Primer Work. At the present time, teachers gener¬ 
ally spend about four or five weeks preparing the pupils to 
read the primer. Though the preparation is not in itself 
something new, there are things connected with it to which 
the attention of the first-grade teacher should be called. 

In preparation for pre-primer lessons the teacher must 
constantly keep in mind certain general objectives. Prime 
among these is the development of a real love for reading. 
She must place before her children things that stimulate and 
interest them. She must make the teaching of primary read¬ 
ing as pleasant as possible. In other words, she must 
motivate the educational work of her pupils. 

The reading instruction, moreover, should help the pupils 
to realize that they cannot do efficient reading without real 
thinking. Words at best are merely symbols for expressing 
thought. To get the thought that such symbols express, the 
pupils must think, — they must compare, contrast, evaluate, 
and decide. 

Inasmuch as the correct teaching of reading helps to 
develop the thinking powers of the pupils, it trains them at 
the same time in the useful art of study. This point is 
worthy of serious consideration. 

The Aim of Reading Instruction. At the beginning of the 
present century, the chief aim of reading instruction was to 
train and develop expressive oral readers. But during the 
past ten or fifteen years, a new and more educative aim for 
reading instruction has been formulated. It is to enable 

10 


SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER 


11 


the pupils to get the thought that the words express. This 
is why rapid silent reading is now taught by all progressive 
and efficient primary and grammar-school teachers. They 
have come to realize that thought getting is much more impor¬ 
tant than word getting , and that silent reading aids thought¬ 
getting more than oral reading does. Every primary-grade 
teacher must keep these facts before her mind. She must do 
everything in her power to develop and train not only expres¬ 
sive oral readers, but also rapid silent readers. It must not 
be taken for granted that oral reading does not help to get 
the thought from the printed word. But, as soon as the 
earliest associations have been made, silent reading should 
always precede oral reading. Oral reading aids the pupil to 
get the thought of what he reads, but it does not do it so 
effectively as attentive silent reading does. 

The Age of First-Grade Pupils. We are convinced that 
the children entering the first grade should have completed 
their fifth year. We readily admit that even younger chil¬ 
dren can do and have done the first-grade work. But is 
it for the best interests of these pupils? We believe that it 
is not. We feel that the minds of these children are not 
mature enough. Besides, their experiences are not numer¬ 
ous enough and their knowledge of oral language is not com¬ 
prehensive enough to enable them to follow with profit the 
instruction given in the first grade. We should like to see 
a nation-wide rule requiring the pupils to have completed 
their fifth year before allowing them to enter the primary 
school. 

Connect the School and the Home. During the first 
days of school, one of the most important duties of the 
teacher is to help to bridge the chasm that separates the 
school from the home, How can this be done efficiently? 


12 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


By making the atmosphere and activities of the classroom 
approximate as closely as possible the atmosphere and 
activities of the ideal home. 

In the home, the ordinary child has an abundance of 
exercise. See that he has it in the classroom. In the home, 
the child has his games to play. Have plenty of games in 
the classroom. In the home, the child enjoys a certain 
amount of freedom. At school, do not take it from him all 
at once. Do it gradually. In the home, the child is the 
recipient of a mother's love. Do everything in your power 
to take the place of the mother. This is the way to reach 
the heart of the child. This is the way to win his good will 
and his love. This is the way to stimulate the best impulses 
of his nature. This is the efficient way to educate him. 

Utilize Maternal Instincts. During the first few weeks 
of school, the maternal instincts of the teacher are brought 
into play. If she desires to be successful in dealing with her 
pupils, she must be as kind, considerate, and loving as a real 
mother. This is the most natural and efficient manner of 
winning the confidence, the good will, and the love of her 
pupils. This is the best way to make them feel at home in 
their new surroundings, and to interest them in the work of 
the school. 

Make Friends. The first few weeks of school determine 
the child’s school habits and attitudes. Therefore, these 
are the days calling for most skillful teaching technique; 
these are the days when the teacher must enthrone herself 
in the hearts of her pupils. But these are also days during 
which her patience, her motherly kindness, and her knowl¬ 
edge of child life are put to the test. She may tell them a 
thing many times; yet they will forget it. This is to be 
expected in this difficult period of adjustment, and the 


SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TEACHER 


13 


teacher must meet the situation with extreme serenity and 
tact. 

Setting. The classroom for first-grade children should 
be as homelike as possible. Flowers, potted plants, and 
pictures that appeal to the young should be everywhere 
evident. Games, toys, plasticene, and similar materials of 
appealing and educative value should be in evidence. Initial 
Sound Cards and Flash Cards may be arranged around the 
blackboard. The Crucifix and the Flag should have a prom¬ 
inent place at the front of the room. In a word, everything 
that helps to make the classroom attractive, interesting, and 
wonderful to the child should be there. 

The Teacher as a Hostess. Everything for the pupils’ 
comfort and pleasure must be in readiness half an hour at 
least before the school begins. This leaves the teacher free 
to receive and to welcome each new arrival. Much depends 
on the way that this is done. You cannot do too much to 
show your interest in each newcomer. Make him your 
friend from the start. Show him his seat, and give him 
something appealing to do. Do not be surprised if he should 
walk around the classroom to see what the other pupils are 
doing. It shows that he is a social being and wants to 
become acquainted. 


Ill 


THE WORK OF THE FIRST GRADE 

The First Grade Most Important. The opinion is becom¬ 
ing more and more prevalent that the time spent by pupils 
in the first grade is the most important in their educational 
career. This is the period in which the foundations for their 
future progress are laid. This is the .time that will have the 
most lasting influence on their physical, social, mental, and 
religious development. This is the year when the first for¬ 
mal lessons in politeness and character building are given. 
This is the year when the child’s future habits, attitudes, 
skills, and appreciations begin to take shape. Therefore, 
it is the year that requires the most skillful of all teaching 
ability. This is the opportune time to interest the pupils 
in the work of education. 

The Attitude of the Teacher. On account of the impor¬ 
tance of the results of the first grade, the teacher should do 
everything in her power to make the work of her class as 
pleasant and as effective as possible, for only in such an 
environment can the best that is in the pupils be developed. 
This is not, as the unsympathetic and inexperienced would 
term it, “ soft pedagogy ” ; on the contrary, it is in harmony 
with the most advanced educational thought and practice. 
For centuries we have not given those to be educated suf¬ 
ficient consideration. As a result, much of the teaching has 
been wasteful and inefficient. It is about time to regard the 
pupils as the most important factor in the work of education. 

The Method Outlined. The method of teaching reading 
outlined in this Manual aims to make the work of the first 

14 


THE WORK OF THE FIRST GRADE 


15 


grade pleasing and appealing to the pupils. It goes at once 
to the heart of the child. It tends to motivate and stimulate 
his every act. It utilizes the most efficient findings of 
educational experts. It stresses the importance of thought 
getting as the most vital factor in the teaching of reading, 
while at the same time it pays ample attention to the matter 
of word mastery. It serves to show, in a brief and simple 
manner, that reading primarily is a thinking process. In 
doing this, it lays the foundation for the mastery of the art 
of study. 

A Combination Method. There are many methods of 
teaching reading. Each method seems to present advan¬ 
tages as well as disadvantages. This being so, it seems 
reasonable to take from different methods what best suits 
our aim. Our method, therefore, may be termed a com¬ 
bination method. In working out our combination we have 
been most careful to present no conflicting devices. Our 
combination presents an enticing entrance to the road of 
reading and charmingly advances the pupils step by step 
to higher achievement. We desire to place the best before 
each teacher so that she may not only know what to do but 
how to do it. Let it be understood, however, that every 
teacher who uses this Manual is free to take from it what¬ 
ever she considers best suited to the needs of her class. It 
is not absolutely necessary to follow to the letter everything 
herein outlined. Our method is chiefly suggestive. 

Phonics. As our language is largely phonetic, phonics 
cannot be ignored. The names of the letters should be tabooed 
from the class exercises until the formal study of spelling creates 
need for them. The interference arising from confusion of 
the names and sounds of the letters is the cause of much con¬ 
flict in the initial stages of learning to read , For this reason ? 


16 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


it is recommended that spelling , if taught in the first grade , he 
deferred until the latter part of the year, when association 
between the sounds and symbols has become securely fixed. 

Pupils should be led through both ear- and eye-training 
exercises to recognize the association of sound and symbol 
as component elements of familiar words, both spoken and 
written. To enrich the apperceptive basis, it is also an 
excellent practice to have them form sentences containing 
these words. 

The phonic elements should be developed as needed to 
recognize new words from known sight words in one of the 
following ways: 

1. Comparison. 

2. Appeal to the imagination through a story and the manipu¬ 

lation of the organs of speech required to produce a sound. 

3. Analysis of known sight words. 

As soon as a phonic element has been made an object of 
separate attention, it should be used in building new words. 
The silent or whispered blend should be encouraged rather 
than the oral blend. 

Throughout the series the analytic-synthetic method is 
used. Phonics are taught not as an end, but as a means to 
develop the power of independent attack. Wheat, in The 
Teaching of Reading , says: “ The school is not concerned 
with having children gain a mastery of phonics as a complete 
system; it does not organize its instruction for the sake 
of thoroughness in phonics. Only as the children need to 
make use of phonics in attacking new and difficult words does 
the school organize instruction in the use of that device. 
For this reason no attempt is made to start the children with 
the simplest phonograms and to lead them to a knowledge 


THE WORK OF THE FIRST GRADE 


17 


of those which are more and more difficult until finally they 
have made themselves familiar with a complete phonic sys¬ 
tem. The principle ‘ from simple to complex ’ does not 
operate here any more than it does in connection with the 
teaching of word recognition. The principle to be followed 
is to lead the pupils to analyze the necessary phonograms out 
of their familiar stock of words and to recombine these phono¬ 
grams into words which are new and heretofore unfamiliar. 
The procedure is not from ‘ parts to wholes/ but from 
‘ wholes to parts, and back again to different wholes.’ 

. “ In teaching the process there are four steps: 

1. The first step calls attention to known words arranged in a 

family, or sound group. 

2. The second step analyzes words into their sound elements. 

3. The third step recombines the sound elements into the orig¬ 

inal wholes. 

4. The fourth step recombines the sound elements into differ¬ 

ent wholes.” 

Watch a child with a new toy; he tries to take it apart to 
see how it is made and then to put it together again. This 
innate creative tendency of the child is employed in the 
analytic-synthetic method, where, by the fundamental law 
of self-activity, the child is led to separate known words 
into phonic elements and by rearranging these to form new 
words. The natural curiosity of the child solves the word 
games with pleasure, rendering permanent the knowledge 
and power gained. 


IV 


PRE-PRIMER WORK OUTLINED 
First Day 

This plan of studies is arranged for a class of from forty- 
five to fifty pupils who have completed their fifth year. For 
larger classes and for younger children, the teacher in many 
cases will have to proceed more slowly. She will not be able 
to cover the work in the time allotted. She may have to 
spend five or six weeks in doing what is here supposed to be 
done in four weeks. Besides, some teachers spend a day 
or two in helping the children to feel at home in their new 
surroundings. This is perfectly legitimate. It is often 
necessary. As we have already stated, the outline of work 
for the pre-primer stage is chiefly suggestive. It is meant 
to help the teacher rather than to circumscribe her efforts. 
It is planned especially for young and inexperienced teachers. 
Bear in mind that this plan of studies does not insist that the 
regular work of the class should be begun the very first morn¬ 
ing of school. This is for the teacher to decide. Local 
customs often render it impossible to begin the first day. 
This is especially so when the names of the applicants have 
not been taken on the previous day. The teacher then must 
decide the best time to begin the following program and the 
amount of work to be done in any day. Moreover, the 
pupils of no two first grades are exactly alike in mental 
ability. Some will require more time to adapt themselves 
to their new environment. Others will need more personal 
attention. Still others will need more review work. Under 
such circumstances, the teacher is free to change things in 

18 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —FIRST DAY 


19 


this course to suit the special needs of her class. Finally, 
it is taken for granted that she will devote all the time 
necessary for review. Her motto should be: “ Make 

haste slowly .” 

The Opening Prayer. As soon as the bell rings, and all 
the children are seated, the teacher proceeds in such a man¬ 
ner as the following: 

“ How happy you look, dear children! I am glad. I 
want you to be happy in this room. Now, children, we shall 
say our prayers. We can talk to God just as we talk to our 
father when he comes home in the evening. We can thank 
God for all the good things He has given us, and ask Him for 
other good things. We can ask Him to bless us and make 
us good children. How many would like to talk to God? 
Every one wants to do so. Remember that God listens to 
what we say. When we talk to God, we kneel. Stand , 
children. You look like little soldiers. Can you kneel 
as well as you stand? Kneel. That is very good. Now 
put your little hands together like this, and do what the 
teacher does.” 

For the first few days do not use the regular school prayers. 
It is much better to have something more simple and child¬ 
like — something that will appeal to the children and raise 
their little minds and hearts to God. Take, for example: 

“ Dear God, I thank You for watching over me during the 
night. I thank You for this day and for the pleasant time I 
will have. Help me to be good to-day. Amen.” 

The teacher will say the words, a phrase at a time, and 
have the pupils repeat them. The prayer being finished, the 
teacher will say, “ Stand , children.” Then she will give the 
command, “ Be seated.” 

As soon as the children are seated, the teacher shows them 


20 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


how to make the Sign of the Cross. After a few minutes’ 
practice, she says, “ Now, let me see. Who can do it 
alone? ” “ You may try, Joseph.” Joseph, who has had 

some home training, does it very well. The teacher praises 
him. Many other pupils volunteer. The teacher calls 
upon them one by one, and does not forget to commend 
each one for his effort. 

While the pupils are learning their prayers, more time 
than usual has to be devoted to this exercise. Besides, the 
teacher must do everything possible to make the time happy 
and helpful to the children. While teaching the class as a 
whole, she must endeavor to reach every pupil under her 
care. The aptitude and the capacities of children differ 
widely. This necessitates the grouping of the class, accord¬ 
ing to common abilities, into three or four study units. 

The Salute to the Flag. The teacher then continues, 
“ We have just spoken to God; we will now talk to the flag 
of our country. What are we going to say to the flag ? Can 
anyone in the room salute the flag? ” Some child who has 
been to the kindergarten or the sub-primary may volunteer. 
Have him come to the front of the room where all the chil¬ 
dren can see him. When he salutes the flag, praise him 
highly. This will encourage the other pupils to learn the 
salute. 

If the teacher considers the regular salute to the flag, “ I 
pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and to the 
Republic for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with 
liberty and justice for all,” too difficult during the first few 
weeks of school, she can substitute something like this : 
“ God bless our flag, and God bless our country.” 

As in the preceding exercise, extra time has to be devoted 
to saluting the flag for the first few days. It will take some 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —FIRST DAY 


21 


time to teach the pupils what to do and what to say, but 
remember it is time well spent. In all this work, the teacher 
must do her utmost to make this exercise as pleasant as pos¬ 
sible for the children. She should tell them an occasional 
story or patriotic incident developing respect for the flag. 

Greeting the Teacher. When the salute to the flag is 
finished, the teacher says in the kindest possible tone, “Good 
morning, children ," and the pupils reply, “ Good morning, 
Sister ." This little exercise is more important than many 
persons realize. It helps to introduce the teacher to the 
children and the children to the teacher. It is a funda¬ 
mental lesson in good manners and politeness. This is the 
time and the place to teach the little ones the correct thing 
to do on such occasions. At first, it may take some time to 
lead them to respond to the teacher's “ Good morning ," but 
after a few days it will become a habit. 

Good Morning Game. The teacher says, “ Now, children, 
we are going to have some fun. We are going to play a 
game. Who would like to play this game? I cannot take 
every pupil. So I will select twelve for the first time." 
The Sister then selects the pupils best fitted for the game. 
When they are standing in single file at the side of the room, 
she says to them, “ I want you twelve pupils to walk around 
the room. When you are passing in front of Sister’s desk, 
please stop, one at a time, and say, ‘ Good morning, Sister 
As soon as the Sister has said, ‘ Good morning ’ to you, con¬ 
tinue to walk around the room. Now watch me. I will 
show you what to do. It is not hard. It is just a game." 

The teacher then walks around the room. When she 
comes to the Sister’s desk, she stops and says with a slight 
bow of the head, “ Good morning, Sister," and then finishes 
the walk around the room. Addressing the twelve pupils, 


22 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


she says, “ Now you do just what I did.” Thereupon the 
victrola begins to play and the twelve pupils commence to 
walk around the room. The game continues until prac¬ 
tically all of the children have participated. 

Pleasant Features of School Life. Many pupils come to 
school with erroneous notions. This is the time to correct 
any mistaken ideas that the children may have about school. 
The teacher should begin by telling them of the good times 
and the fun they are going to have. She should tell them 
about the games they are going to play and the wonderful 
stories they are going to hear. She should endeavor to give 
them the impression that they are going to have a very 
pleasant time at school, just as good as, if not better than, 
they have at home. This will dispel possible false notions 
which have caused the child to associate school with punish¬ 
ment, and will help the child to adjust himself happily to the 
new and strange situation. 

Recess. The time for recess for first-grade pupils should 
be at least fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes 
in. the afternoon. If possible, the pupils should take this 
exercise in the open air, and every pupil should take part in 
the game played. The best way to accomplish this is to 
have organized play. If the exercise is not organized, some 
will sit down, some will stand, and some will play. Bear in 
mind then that the games played should, if possible, include 
all the children. They all need physical activity. It 
refreshes and stimulates them for further study. More¬ 
over, the first recess must initiate habits of quiet, orderly 
filing. 

Seat Work. When the children return from recess, have 
them file in order to their seats. Tell them to take from 
their desks the box with the pegs. When all are ready, tell 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —FIRST DAY 23 

the pupils to outline colored tablets with pegs of the same 
color. 

Story-telling. Tell the pupils about a little boy or a little 
girl who liked to go to school. Tell how he was always 
on time and how much he enjoyed everything that was done 
in the class. The first evening when he returned home 
from school, he told his mother that he had a very pleasant 
time and that he liked the school very much. 

Greeting Song. Teach the words and music of the follow¬ 
ing lines. The music will be found at the end of the Manual. 
Good morning to you, 

Good morning to you, 

Good morning, dear children, 

Good morning to you. 

Lead the Pupils to Talk. In order to get an insight into 
the minds of the children, the teacher will lead them to talk 
about any subject that they desire. They are always ready 
to tell about father, mother, and the baby. They like to 
speak about their pets, their toys, and the games they play. 
From what they say, the teacher will get an idea of what 
is in their minds. From the very beginning, allow only one 
pupil to talk at a time. Suggest and commend courteous 
attention to the speaker. Tell them that it is not polite to 
talk while some one else is speaking. This exercise may take 
fifteen or twenty minutes; but it is time well spent. It 
serves as a means to make the children feel at home in their 
new surroundings. At the same time, it brings out the indi¬ 
viduality of the children. 

The Play Period. The pupils are now ready to play 
games. These should take place, when possible, in a large 
room or hall where the children will have an opportunity 
to enter freely into the games. The teacher should know 


24 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


how to play the games, and should be able to decide any 
points in dispute. Nothing but the easiest and the simplest 
games should be attempted during the pre-primer period. 
At first, let the prevailing tendency be fun. Gradually the 
educative purpose may be brought in. What are the best 
games with which to begin? Those that are known in the 
locality. 

Visual Instruction. If there be a picture machine of any 
kind in the school building, be sure to show the pupils pic¬ 
tures of child life for fifteen or twenty minutes. This will 
be a pleasant surprise to the children. It will not only give 
them pleasure but will also be highly educative. It will fill 
their minds with many suitable thoughts. 

Oral Language. After seeing the pictures, the children 
should have an opportunity to talk about them. If some of 
the pupils be timid or backward, the teacher must try to 
bring them out by the simplest kind of question. Some 
children seem afraid of the sound of their voices. With 
these, the teacher must use tact and judgment. She must, 
moreover, encourage every effort on the part of the pupils, 
no matter how trivial. 

Filing to the Dressing Room. Ten or fifteen minutes before 
the noon dismissal, the children should be taught how to file 
in an orderly manner to the dressing room and back again to 
their desks. This training is very important. Several 
rehearsals will be necessary before they can file in order. 
The children, moreover, should be taught to file in and out 
of school. To the adult mind, these little exercises may 
appear scarcely worth while, but in reality they are neces¬ 
sary for correct habit formation. If the first-grade children 
have to file downstairs, do not allow them to hold hands. 
If you do, you will have to undo it for the fire drill. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — FIRST DAY 


25 


The Teacher’s Good-by. Just before the bell rings for 
dismissal, the teacher should give the children a short talk, 
telling them about the pleasant things that are to be done 
during the afternoon session. This will help to put them 
in good spirits and give them a desire to return in the after¬ 
noon. The most successful primary teachers that we know 
always make it a point to send their pupils home in a con¬ 
tented and happy frame of mind. There is a world of wis¬ 
dom in this plan. 

Closing Prayer. Many teachers take this occasion to teach 
the pupils to say grace before meals. For a week or two 
this prayer may be still too formal. In that case, have them 
repeat after the teacher some very simple ejaculation, such 
as “ Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you. Help me to be a 
good child. Amen.” 

P.M. 

Prayers. Salute to the Flag. Greeting the Teacher. 

For a few days, these exercises will be practically the same 
as those of the morning. None of them should be omitted, 
especially during the pre-primer period. They are not a 
waste of time. They are intimately connected with the 
education of the pupils. Besides they give the children an 
opportunity for self-activity, and awaken the satisfaction 
that comes with the growing consciousness of increasing 
skill. 

Action Song. The teacher should now teach the pupils 
some simple song that is lively and pleasure-giving. The 
words and music of the song must appeal strongly to chil¬ 
dren. It may be a nonsense rhyme, or the story of a little 
boy or girl. Better still if it be an action song in which all 


26 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


the children can take part, for example, Emilie Poulsson’s 
“ All for Baby ” 

In every singing exercise, strive for pure soft tones. Be 
careful lest any pupil force his voice. Be on the lookout for 
monotones and for those who have imperfections of any other 
kind, such as a nasal twang. 

Story-telling . Tell a simple story of the birth of the Infant 
Jesus. For the present, give merely a bare outline. Avoid 
all fine diction. Little minds do not appreciate it. Relate 
the story without high-sounding and beautiful adjectives. 
But above all things, make the narration appeal strongly to 
the pupils. When you have finished the story, if there be 
time, give the pupils an opportunity to tell you what they 
learned from your story. 

Oral Language. Have on the blackboard the picture of a 
boy and a girl running. Ask the pupils to interpret the pic¬ 
ture. Then inquire if they can run like the boy and the 
girl in the picture. Allow four or five of them to give you an 
actual demonstration. Let them talk about other persons 
and animals that can run. 

Teaching a Jingle. In order to make this exercise as pleas¬ 
ant and as enjoyable as possible, we begin the actual teaching 
of reading with a simple jingle which can be sung and acted as 
soon as it is memorized by the children. The music for this 
and other jingles will be found toward the end of this 
Manual. Here are the words to be memorized. 

Run around the room, boys, 

Run around the room. 

Run around, 

Run around, 

Run around the room. 

As soon as the pupils have committed this jingle to mem- 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —FIRST DAY 


27 


ory, the teacher will say to the children, “ Now, we are going 
to sing ‘ Run around the Room.’ The piano will sing it first, 
then I will sing it, and then all will sing it. If you listen to 
the song once more I believe you will then be able to sing it 
yourselves.” Already some of the pupils are humming or 
singing the melody. The teacher does not pretend to hear 
them. She sings it over again so that they may become more 
familiar with it. Then she calls upon the whole class to 
sing the jingle, taking care to be their leader and guide. 
The pupils enter into the exercise with such good will that 
they master it in a short time. 

When practically all the children know how to say and to 
sing the jingle, the teacher will say, “ Now, we are going to 
play ‘ Run around the Room.’ ” The first row will stand 
and walk in single file to the front of the room. Then the 
second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth rows will fall into line. 
When everything is in readiness, the teacher will say to the 
pupils, “ Now, as you sing the jingle, do as the jingle says, 
that is, run around the room; and keep on singing and run¬ 
ning till I say, * Stop! ’ ” The teacher will then allow the 
pupils to run around the room three or four times, or as long 
as they enjoy doing it. Even then some of the pupils will 
undoubtedly say, “ Sister, may we do it again?” The 
teacher will gladly accede to their request and allow them 
to act the jingle as long as interest is maintained and learn¬ 
ing is strengthened. 

Recess. Try to make the recess so pleasant for all the 
children that they will look forward to it every morning and 
afternoon. To do this, the teacher will have to plan a series 
of games and exercises that will take in every pupil in the 
class. 

Seat Work. Give the pupils a set of pegs so that they may 


28 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


make with them a window and a tent. The teacher will 
say, “ Now, children, I am going to make a window. Watch 
the chalk. See : a window has four lines — down — over — 
up — back. So when you make the window you will have 
to use four pegs. See the way I place the large pegs on the 
blackboard: first, the down peg, then the over peg, then the 
up peg, and then the back peg. Now, who can make a 
window as I made it? ” The teacher should then walk up 
and down the aisles to see that the pupils have placed their 
pegs in the proper position for a window. When nearly all 
of the pupils can make a window with the pegs, the teacher 
will show them how to make a tent. It is absolutely neces¬ 
sary to go through every step in teaching seat work habits. 

“ Now, watch me make a tent: A down, over, up. The 
tent has only three sides. I will make the tent with large 
pegs. The first peg is down, the second peg is over, the third 
peg is up. Now, who can make a tent with little pegs? 
Begin at once, and I will see what each of you can do.” 

Story. “ Red Riding Hood.” In this story, the pupils 
see distinct images and follow them with interest. 

Greeting Song. Sing several times “ Good Morning to 
You.” 

Closing Prayer. This, like the noontime closing prayer, 
will consist of the Sign of the Cross and a short and simple 
pious ejaculation, such as, “ Help me, dear Lord, each night 
and day, to love You more and more. Amen.” Insist from 
the very beginning that the pupils take the proper attitude 
during prayer. Lead them to realize that prayer is talking 
to God, and that God listens to every word they say. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — SECOND DAY 


29 


Second Day 

Opening Prayer. Salute to the Flag. Greeting the Teacher. 

Greeting Song. Review these lines five or six times to 
enable the pupils to sing them without apparent effort. 

Good Morning Game. Review this game so as to include 
every pupil in the room. Be sure that each child stops in 
front of the Sister’s desk, says, “ Good morning , Sister ,” 
and waits until Sister replies, “ Good morning , John,” as 
the case may be. 

Story. Review the birth of the Infant Jesus and tell the 
story of the coming of the Shepherds. The impression made 
by this narrative will be enhanced if the teacher shows the 
pupils a number of pictures illustrating this event. 

Things to Do. Tell the pupils that you are going to find 
out how many of them are able to put on their hats and coats. 
Then have all the pupils file to the clothes rack, and allow 
each pupil to get his hat and coat and to put them on. This 
project will take some time. Even so, it is necessary in 
order to show the pupils that they can help themselves. 
Once the first-grade children can put on their hats and coats, 
do not allow their brothers or their sisters to do it for them. 
It is a mistake. We should never do for them what they 
can do themselves. 

Review the Jingle. When the saying, the singing, and 
the acting of the jingle have been thoroughly reviewed, the 
teacher will call for volunteers to sing the jingle, and then 
to act it. No matter how poorly the thing is done, the teacher 
must always encourage and praise the least effort on the 
part of a pupil. This has a double effect. It pleases and 
encourages not only the one who is singing and acting, but 
also the other members of the class. Little children like 


30 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


to be praised. This exercise will give each pupil an oppor¬ 
tunity to do something. It will help to make him better 
acquainted with the other members of the class. When an 
individual pupil is giving an exhibition in running around the 
room, the other pupils should take part in the singing. This 
is a means of sustaining their interest in the work. 

Recess. Do not allow this exercise to drag. Make every 
minute count. Make the going from and to the classroom 
a serious exercise. Allow no pupil to interfere with the line. 
It is not too soon to instill habits of punctuality and obedience. 

Seat Work. Using colored tablets and pegs, teach the 

_ . % 

making of a cart or an ac ^ on figure. 


\ 


Follow the Leader. The game of “ Follow the Leader ” 
can be played in many ways. It may be easy or difficult. 
For the present occasion, it should be very simple, so that 
each pupil will be able to do what the leader does. Utilize 
the victrola to keep the pupils in time. Have the leader 
walk around the room with hands on the hips and elbows 
turned out. The game consists in having all the other 
pupils do as the leader does. 

Conversation Period. The teacher will begin the period 
by talking about neatness and cleanliness. She should 
then ask the pupils to discuss the matter. This is somewhat 
difficult at first. A few well-directed questions will help 
the pupils in this work. Allow them to talk about any one 
or anything connected with cleanliness. Help them to see 
that boys and girls who are neat and clean have their hair 
combed and shoes shined. The purpose of this conversa¬ 
tion is to bring the matter of cleanliness directly to the 
attention of the pupils. 



PRE-PRIMER WORK —SECOND DAY 


31 


Story. 11 Little Jack Horner.” 

Preparation for Phonics: Ear Training. Have the 
pupils imitate the sounds that they know. They will readily 
tell you the sound made by a cow, a dog, an auto, a train, 
etc. What is more to the point, they will find this work 
interesting and enjoyable. They will be anxious to have the 
phonic period come again. The next time, they will have a 
greater variety of sounds, and they will naturally give them 
more freely. In this phonic exercise, the hearing and the 
vocal organs are developed and tested. The teacher will 
learn how far the children have been taught by their par¬ 
ents. She will also find out whether or not the pupils are 
prepared to begin the phonic work of the class. By begin¬ 
ning in this pleasant way, the pupils will enter into the work 
of phonics with vim. 

Closing Prayer. Filing. Dismissal. 

P.M. 

Opening Prayer. Salute to the Flag. Greeting the Teacher. 

Action Song. Have the pupils say, sing, and play, “ All 
for Baby.” It is not necessary to know all the lines at first. 
They will get the words in the course of a few days. This 
exercise should be a source of pleasure to all the pupils. The 
more delightful you make the singing and acting of this song, 
the more quickly the children will memorize the words. 

Story. Review the birth of the Infant Jesus, the coming 
of the Shepherds, and tell the story of the coming of the 
Wise Men. At the end of the narrative, pass out the picture 
cards that portray these events, and let the pupils talk about 
them. 

Game. Review “ Follow the Leader,” changing the 


32 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


action to suit the needs of the class. It is very important 
that the leader should know precisely what to do. In fact, 
he should be able to show the other pupils how to do it before 
the game begins. 

Review. Have a complete review of the jingle, “ Run 
around the Room.” Give the individual pupils plenty of 
opportunity to say, to sing, and to act the jingle. This 
exercise will lead the children to the next step, that is, reading 
the sentences of the jingle. Do not allow word-by-word read¬ 
ing. Accustom the pupils to take each sentence as a whole. 
The teacher should not point to the words. She should 
rather draw the pointer under the sentence that is to be read. 
There is so much repetition in this jingle that the pupils 
will not find it hard to tell what the different sentences say. 
Notice that all the new words are in the first line. 

Run around the room, boys. 

Run around the room. 

Run around. 

Run around. 

Run around the room. 

After the teacher has read the jingle in a natural way, she 
should have the pupils go to the blackboard and read the 
jingle as she did. When several have read the complete 
jingle, have the other pupils point out the different sen¬ 
tences, and match by comparison the Sentence and Phrase 
Cards with those on the board. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Have the pupils make a number of tents with 
pegs or splints. On the blackboard, where all the children 
can see it, there should be the outline of a tent. The teacher 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — SECOND DAY 


33 


should place splints on this to show the pupils how to make 
a tent. 

Conversation Period. During this period, the pupils and 
the teacher should talk about a tent. Once the conver¬ 
sation is started, the teacher should as a rule remain in the 
background. The children should do most of the talking; 
the teacher should be on hand to keep the conversation going 
by asking an occasional question. Particular attention 
should be paid to the slow and the timid pupils. They espe¬ 
cially need kindness and encouragement. 

Nursery Rhyme. Tell the story of Jack and Jill some¬ 
thing like this : “• Once upon a time, a little boy and a little 
girl went to a well at the top of a hill for some water for their 
mother. The two children, called Jack and Jill, carried 
the pail in which to bring the water home. When they 
reached the top of the hill, they filled the pail with water. 
Then they started to walk down the hill with the water. 
Jack stumbled, spilled the pailful of water, and caused Jill 
to fall, too.” Then give the real rhyme of Jack and Jill. 

After this introduction, ask the pupils, “ What did Jack 
and Jill want ? Why did they go up the hill ? Who carried 
the pail? What happened as they came down the hill? 
Did Jack get wet? ” 

It will help the children to memorize the rhyme, if the 
teacher puts on the blackboard a picture of Jack and Jill 
walking up the hill, and another picture of Jack and Jill 
tumbling down the hill. 

Preparation for Phonics; Ear Training. Review the ear 
training exercises of the morning. Have the pupils reproduce 
the chirp of the birds, the hum of the bees, the me-ow of the 
cat, the bark of the dog, the puff of the engine, the sound 
of the wind, the moo of the cow, the growl of the dog, and 


34 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


other sounds of nature. In this exercise, it is most important 
that the teacher should be able to give these sounds readily 
and in a pleasing voice. Little children like to take part in 
this exercise. Have one pupil play the cow, another play the 
cat, another play the dog, another play the bees, etc. Have 
them stand before the other members of the class and make 
the sound of the animal they represent. When they have 
acted their part, call on other pupils to take their places. 

Things to Do. Call on the pupils to make the figure 1 
on the blackboard. Before beginning this exercise, give 
the pupils practice in good arm movement, in developing a 
light touch, and in crayon-holding. It is also helpful to have 
the pupils form the figure 1 in the air with the right fore¬ 
finger. 

Closing Prayer. Filing. Dismissal. 

Third Day 

As the Opening Prayer , the Salute to the Flag , and the 
Greeting to the Teacher occur at the beginning of each session, 
there is no need of repeating them in the daily program. 

Greeting Song. Review “ Good Morning to You.” 

Game. Review “ Follow the Leader.” 

Story. “ The Little Red Hen.” 

Sentence and Phrase Drill. Place the complete jingle on 
the board. Ask pupils what the different sentences say. 
Call upon other children to point out the sentences. Ask 
them to find by comparison the corresponding sentences on 
the Sentence Cards. 

When the sentences have been mastered, take up the 
different phrases in the jingle. Underline each phrase so 
that the pupils may see where the phrase begins and ends. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —THIRD DAY 


35 


Point out the different phrases and ask the pupils to tell 
what they say. Write the phrases on other parts of the 
blackboard so that they may recognize them apart from the 
jingle. Then call upon the pupils to point out the various 
phrases and to get the corresponding phrase cards. Sen¬ 
tence and phrase drill is very important. It teaches the 
pupil to read sentences and phrases and not individual 
words. It is an aid to speed and comprehension. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Give the children one mimeographed copy 
of the first sentence “ Run around the room, boys/’ with one 
copy of this sentence cut up. Teach them to form the 
sentence on their desks, using the whole sentence for a guide. 
The teacher should inspect all the seat work. 

Reproduction. Review the story of the birth of the 
Infant Jesus, the coming of the Shepherds, and the adoration 
of the Wise Men. Question the pupils on the principal facts 
of these events/and lead them to reproduce the narrative. 

Nursery Rhyme. Review “ Jack and Jill,” and lead the 
pupils to see the words that rhyme. This is a help in 
phonics. 

Picture Study. “ Little Brother ” by Meyer Von Bremen. 
Lead children to tell the story that the picture suggests. 
Encourage originality of interpretation. 

Preparation for Phonics: Ear Training. Review the 
work of the previous day. Then call upon a dozen or more 
of the pupils to make the different sounds. When these have 
done so, call on another group, and so on until all the children 
have had a chance to show what they can do. 

Drawing. “ What did we make with the pegs yester¬ 
day?” “A window and a tent.” “I will make a tent 


36 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


now with a pencil.” The teacher then makes the down 
stroke A , the over stroke, and the up stroke. After this, 
the teacher will say to the pupils, “ Let us make a row of 
tents on paper.” 

Hymn. Teach the words and music of “ A Child's 
Prayer.” The music will be found at the end of the 
Manual. 

While kneeling near his snow-white bed 
A little child to Jesus said : 

“ Bless me, dear Lord, on this bright day, 

And teach me what to do and say.” 

As the Closing Prayer, the Filing, and the Dismissal occur 
at the end of every session, there is no need of repeating them 
on the daily program. 

P.M. 

Greeting Song. Review “ Good Morning to You.” 

Action Song. Review “ All for Baby.” Make this exer¬ 
cise lively and decisive. Try to have all the pupils act as one. 

Story. Give a simple account of the Blessed Virgin 
Mary, and tell especially how well she took care of the 
Infant Saviour. Ask the children to bring to the classroom 
all the pictures of the Blessed Virgin they can find. When 
these are distributed to the pupils, call upon the children to 
tell you what they think of them. Encourage the least 
effort. 

Word Drill. Have a quick review of the jingle with 
special stress on the different sentences and phrases. The 
teacher says, "Who can tell me the first sentence?” When 
a pupil gives it, she puts it on the board. Then she says to 
another pupil, “ Bring me the card with the first sentence, 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — THIRD DAY 


37 


‘Run around the room, boys.’” Have the children say the 
sentence slowly several times. Ask the pupils, “Who can 
find the word Run on the board?” Let several pupils find 
it. Print the word on several places. Find the card that 
says Run. Match it with Run on the board. Do the 
same with each word in the first sentence. Be sure not to 
separate the words the and room. Match the cards to the 
words on the board. Mix the cards and arrange them in the 
order of the sentence. 

Things to Do. Call upon the pupils to imitate the actions 
of the different domestic animals, such as the cat, the dog, 
the cow, the horse, etc. 

Playing the Word. Place the word run on the black¬ 
board. Call upon one of the pupils to do what it says. Have 
him run around the room. Put the word run on another 
part of the blackboard and say, “Now who will tell me what 
this word says? Very well, Fred, you may tell me.” Again 
put the word run in another position on the board and say, 
“ Who will do what this word says? Now let me see. I 
will call on Mary.” Do not overlook the timid pupils. 

If time permits, have a running game that will include 
most of the pupils. The teacher should be deeply interested 
in these games. She should do everything in her power to 
make them full of life. The pupils will naturally become 
enthusiastic, and will enter into the games with a will. 

Some teachers have a running exercise every day. The 
physical exercise afforded by running, and not always af¬ 
forded by other games, is necessary for the young child. It 
stirs up his circulation and respiration, and brings his vital 
organs back to normal action after the cramped position of 
the body bent over the desk. The running should be out¬ 
doors if possible. 


38 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Recess 

Seat Work. Have the pupils build as many lines of the 
jingle as they can. For the first attempts at sentence struc¬ 
ture, have just as many words as there are in the jingle. 
When the children are more accustomed to the work, have 
more words than are required by the jingle. 

Boxing Game. Have the words run, around , the room, 
boys, on different parts of the board, and have each word 
repeated two or three times. Tell the pupils that you are 
going to inclose one of the words in a box. Show them how 
to do it. Then say to the children, “Let me see. Who 
can do what I did? Very well, Mary, you may try. Here 
is the chalk. ” Mary goes to the board and incloses the 
word run in a rectangle or box as the children call it. “ See, 
children, Mary put the word run in a box. Who can put 
around in a box ? ” In this way all the words are put in boxes 
by the pupils. This exercise has a twofold effect. It 
familiarizes the children with the words, and it gives them 
something easy to do. 

Things to Do. Find out how many pupils can walk on 
tip-toe around the room. Ask why persons sometimes walk 
on tip-toe. 

Ear Training. Rhyming words. As soon as the children 
can give words that sound alike in a rhyme, such as Jill and 
hill, down and crown, they will be able to give words that 
rhyme with run and room. Be not afraid of using too much 
time on this work. Recognizing sounds that are alike is an 
excellent preparation for phonics. 


Jill 

down 

run 

room 

hill 

crown 

fun 

bloom 

Bill 

brown 

sun 

broom 


PRE-PRIMER WORK— FOURTH DAY 


39 


Right and Left Game. Tell the children to stand in the 
aisle near their desks with heads erect and hands at their 
sides. The teacher then gives directions like the following: 
“Raise your right hand as high as you can.” “Let your 
right hand rest at your side.” “Raise your left hand.” 
“Let it rest at your side.” “Raise both hands.” “Let 
them rest at your side,” etc. 

Action Song. “Dickory, Dickory, Dock.” After the 
children know this rhyme, encourage them to dramatize it. 
To do so, let all the pupils kneel on the floor near their seats. 
When they come to the words “ ran up ” all should rise to 
their feet. When they come to the words “struck one,” 
all should clap once. When they come to “ ran down,” 
all should return to their knees. 

Hymn. “ A Child’s Prayer.” 

Fourth Day 

Hymn. “ A Child’s Prayer.” 

The Object Game. In this game, the teacher touches some 
object in the classroom, pronounces the word slowly, empha¬ 
sizing the initial sound, and asks the pupils to pronounce 
the word as slowly as she did. When the words have been 
thoroughly drilled, one of the brightest pupils touches some 
object in the room and asks another child to give its name. 

Story. Give the chief events of the “ Gingerbread Man.” 
Make the narrative as realistic as possible. At the end of 
the story, ask a few questions dealing with the main points 
of the story. 

Review. Have the pupils say, sing, and play “ Run 
around the Room.” Let them read the jingle as a whole, 
read the different sentences, point to and read the various 
phrases, and pick out the individual words. Call upon others 


40 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


to erase the sentences, beginning with the last. Then have 
others give you the different sentences. Print them on the 
board as the children give them. Then ask, “ Who can find 
1 Run around the room ’ ? ‘ Run around ’ ? ‘ Run around the 
the room, boys’? Find Run, boys, around the room. How 
many run 1 s do you see ? How many around 1 s ? How many 
boys? How many room’s? Which is the longest word? 
Which is the shortest word ? How many letters in the word 
run? How many in around? How many in boys? etc.” 
It is well to have the pupils distinguish the tall letters from 
the short letters. This helps to impress the words on their 
minds. 

Oral English. The object of this lesson is to encourage the 
pupils to use the words already learned. The teacher must 
do everything in her power to get all the children to say 
something. She must beware lest a few of the pupils monop¬ 
olize the whole time. 

Ear Training: Slow Pronunciation. Another means 
of training the ear is the slow pronunciation of familiar 
words. The teacher may say to the pupils: “Raise your 
h-and. Hands on the d-esk. What is your n-ame? Are 
you a good b-oy ? Where is the p-en ? ” The idea is to have 
the pupils repeat these sentences after the teacher so that 
they may become accustomed to the initial sound of the 
different words. 

This is the little Red H-en. Open the d-oor. 

Is that your new h-at? Mary has a pretty d-oll. 

Were you in the h-all? Have you a d-og? 


What is your phone n-umber? 
Betty has a n-ew dress. 

This is n-ot Jill. 


This is a picture b-ook. 
Do you play with b-aby ? 
I have a pretty red b-all. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — FOURTH DAY 


41 


P-oint to the hag. 

Here is a p-ail of water. 

Father has a p-ipe. 

The Cat and the Dog Game. Pick out two of the brightest 
pupils in the class — one to play the dog and the other to play 
the cat. Let the cat and the dog have a tug-of-war. Get 
a piece of strong cord. Give one end of the cord to the cat 
and the other end to the dog, and have each pull with all his 
strength. At the same time, the dog will bark and the cat 
will me-ow. The one who pulls the other wins the game. 
If the cord is long enough, you may have three or four dogs 
on one side and three or four cats on the other side. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Draw a ladder on the board where all the 
pupils can see it. Give out the pegs or splints, and ask the 
children to make a ladder on their desks. If necessary, 
show them how to make the ladder. 

Review “ Jack and Jill” It will add interest to this 
exercise if you have two pupils play “ Jack and Jill.” Have 
them walk up the hill carrying a pail. When they reach the 
top, have them fill the pail. As they return, have Jack 
stumble and fall, pulling Jill down and spilling the water. 

Action Song. Review “ All for Baby.” Have a group of 
the pupils sing and act the song in the front of the room. 
This will inspire others to do so. Perhaps some child could 
sing and act it alone. If so, give him an opportunity. 

Things to Do. For the first few minutes, call upon the 
pupils to make the figure I on the blackboard. Then show 
them how easy it is to make the figure J. Afterwards ask 
them to make the figure on the board. 

The Donkey's Tail Game. Place on the blackboard an 


42 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


outline picture of a donkey without a tail. The purpose of 
the game is to allow blindfolded pupils to try to put the tail 
on the right place. There is no end of fun and amusement 
in this game. The teacher blindfolds the pupil, gives him 
the donkey’s tail, and allows one of the other pupils to escort 
him to a position in front of the donkey. Watch the chil¬ 
dren laugh When the blindfolded pupil puts the tail on the 
donkey’s head, on his back, or on some other place equally 
outlandish. 

Greeting Song. Review “ Good Morning to You.” 

P.M. 

Hymn. 11 A Child’s Prayer.” 

Good Afternoon Game. This game is played just as the 
“ Good Morning Game.” All the pupils walk around the 
room. When each pupil comes to the teacher’s desk, he 
stops, faces the teacher, and says, “ Good afternoon, Sister.” 
As soon as the teacher has said, “ Good afternoon, John,” 
he continues his walk around the room. 

Oral Language. The purpose of this exercise is to lead 
the pupils to talk about the games they play. The teacher 
must insist that only one pupil talk at a time, and she must 
listen attentively to everything that he has to say. 

Reading. Now that the pupils know the thoughts of the 
greeting song, teach them the new words that are intro¬ 
duced therein : good, morning, to, you, dear, children. Help 
them to realize when these words are used in their homes and 
in the classroom. Have them contrast the long words with 
the short words. 

Sentence Building. Have the pupils build the following 
sentences: “ Good morning to you. Good morning, dear 
children.” 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —FIFTH DAY 


43 


The Bean Bag Game. Select twelve pupils. Arrange 
them in two groups. Give a bean bag to each child in each 
group. Show the children how to toss a bean bag. Caution 
them not to throw the bag with full force. Have an empty 
waste basket on or near the teacher’s desk. Tell the pupils 
that the group that puts the most bean bags into the basket 
wins the game. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Have each pupil make with pegs or splints 
three or four tents, windows, and ladders. 

Tongue Training. So far the phonetic work has dealt 
chiefly with ear-training. It is also necessary to give the 
pupils practice in tongue-training, that is, practice in making 
the initial sounds. 

When taking these drills one should note speech defects. 
The correction of such defects must be done prudently. It 
will never do to point out publicly the speech defects of any 
child. 


Betty 

Nellie 

Patsy 

Dorothy 

Harry 

Billy 

Ned 

Peter 

Dotty 

Howard 

Betsy 

Nora 

Polly 

Dan 

Harold 


Story. “ The Three Billy Goats.” 

Game. Review the “ Donkey’s Tail Game.” 

Fifth Day 

Hymn. “ A Child’s Prayer.” * 

Reading. Have each pupil read “ Good Morning to 
You.” Then call on him to point out the phrases and words. 
Finally let him tell you when we say, “ Good Morning to 
You.” 


44 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Picture Study. “ The Cat Family,” by Adams. 

Story. “ The White Cat.” 

Informal Phonics. Before beginning the teaching of the 
initial sounds, the teacher should review the previous work 
in ear and tongue training. This will put the children in the 
right frame of mind for the new lesson. Let us take, for 
example, the sound of the letter c. The teacher will say to 
her class, “ Children, I am going to draw a picture on the 
blackboard, and I want to know who can tell me what it 
represents.” Every pupil is now paying attention. Before 
the drawing is completed, many little hands are raised to tell 
the teacher about the illustration. One of the pupils is called 
on to tell what the drawing is. She replies, “ It is the pic¬ 
ture of a cat.” The teacher prints the word cat under the 
drawing, and tells the pupils that it is the name of the object 
on the board. The pupils in the course of time associate 
the printed word with the object. The word cat is then 
printed in several places on the board to enable the pupils 
to recognize it readily. 

When this has been done, the teacher will pronounce the 
word slowly as c-at. The pupils will pronounce the word in 
the same way. They will do so first in unison, but after 
some time individually. The teacher will then ask, “ What 
is the first sound?” When this has been answered by the 
pupils, she will cover the second part of the word and ask 
what the first part .says. Thus the children will get the 
initial sound of the letter c. 

f After this sound has been taught, the teacher will turn to 
the initial Sound Card. This will supplement the black¬ 
board work. 

Ask the pupils if they know other words with the sound c. 
They will suggest such words as: 


PRE-PRIMER WORD — FIFTH DAY 


45 


cup 

come 

cut 

can 

cap 

came 

car 

coat 

cold 

crust 

care 

cross 

cow 

candy 

cream 

crumb 


As each word is contributed, the class pronounce it and the 
teacher writes it on the board. When the list is completed, 
the children pronounce them after the teacher, who directs 
their attention to the similarity in the initial sounds. The 
teacher colors the initial letter of each word, saying as she 
does so, “ Cap begins with c ; cut begins with c” mentioning 
the sound and not the name of the beginning letter. The 
teacher further impresses the association in some such way 
as the following: “ Cap (pronouncing the word) — I am 
going to erase all but the first sound in Cap. That sound 
is what?” She follows this procedure with all the words, 
the children repeating the list after the teacher, and at her 
suggestion erasing all but the initial letter. Children apply 
knowledge in discovering the sound in familiar words of the 
vocabulary list and in unfamiliar words found in supplemen¬ 
tary material. 

Recess 

Sentence Building. Have the pupils build the sentences 
of the “ Morning Greeting.” 

Music Appreciation. Tell the pupils that you are going 
to have some good music for them and that you want them to 
listen to it. Begin with a lively march — something that is 
unusually pleasant. Then play a sweet lullaby. Finally 
play an even waltz song. It is possible to find a few in each 
class who can distinguish the varied meters of these selections. 
Have such pupils raise hands each time a given theme is 
repeated; or, allow the children to drum the selection, or 


46 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


imitate playing a violin. Many little children derive more 
benefit from listening to good music than they do from the 
actual singing of the exercise. 

Conversation. Lead the pupils to tell you about the games 
they play at home. This will help the teacher to decide 
upon what games to introduce into the first-grade work, 
and it will be a fruitful subject for oral language. 

Phonic Game. “ Now, children, I am thinking of a word 
that sounds like c-at. Let me see if any one knows what the 
word is. Who knows? Just raise your hand. Very well, 
Anna. What is the word that sounds like c-at f” “ The 
word that sounds like c-at, Sister, is r-at,” “ That is right, 
Anna, the word that sounds like c-at is r-at. Who can tell 
me another word that sounds like c-at ? Now think of 
something that men and women wear.” “ I have it, Sister. 
You are thinking about the word h-at.” “ That is just the 
word. Perhaps some one else could give me another word 
that sounds like c-at. Think of the different kinds of c-ats.” 
11 Is the word/-a£, Sister? ” “ You are entirely right, Fred. 

The word is f-at.” 

Tongue Training. Review the tongue and ear-training 
exercises. 

P.M. 

Good Afternoon Game. In reviewing this game, make sure 
that the pupils say clearly and distinctly, “ Good afternoon, 
Sister,” and that each stands at attention until the teacher 
says, “ Good afternoon, Dan.” Speak to the children 
about having a soldierly bearing as they walk around the 
room. Select a pupil who carries himself well to show the 
others what you mean. « 

Picture Study. “ The Guardian Angel.” 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —FIFTH DAY 


47 


Story. Tell a simple story of the Guardian Angels and 
explain what they do for us. There are several suitable pic¬ 
tures to supplement the effect of your words. 

Hymn. Teach four lines of “ Dear Angel Ever at My 
Side.” It will serve to deepen the impression of the pre¬ 
vious narrative. 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to make the figure 7 on the 
blackboard and afterwards on paper. 

Phrase Test. Place all the phrases learned up to the pres¬ 
ent on various parts of the blackboard. Write three or four 
of each so that they may be easily found. Then call on the 
pupils to find the different phrases. Make this exercise 
lively. Aim for instantaneous recognition. 

Review. In this exercise of reviewing “ Good Morning 
to You,” do not follow the same manner of presentation as 
you did in the previous lesson. Even though you present 
the same facts, change the manner of doing it. Little chil¬ 
dren like variety. 

Recess 

Seat Work. First have the pupils make with their pegs 
or splints a tent, a window, and a ladder. If any one of the 
children does not seem able to do the work, the teacher 
should give him individual attention. When they have 
formed five or six tents, five or six windows, and five or six 
ladders, show them how to make a chair. While the teacher 
is making a chair with large splints, let the pupils make chairs 
with small splints. 

Informal Phonics. Have a quick review of the phonic 
work done in the morning, emphasizing especially its prac¬ 
tical application. Call on the pupils to give you words with 
the c sound. Ask them to find such words among the Percep- 


48 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


tion Cards, or the Sentence Cards. Be sure that each pupil 
knows how to give the sound of c correctly. 

Tongue Training in making initial sounds : 


father 

little 

Mary 

top 

Fred 

like 

March 

ten 

flag 

loves 

mother 

tear 


The Pointing Game. Have the pupils as a class point out 
the different parts of the body and the familiar objects in the 
room. The teacher will say, “ Point to your ear. Point to 
your nose. Point to your lips. Point to your toes. Point 
to your cheeks. Point to your hair. Point to your desk. 
Point to your chair. Point to the flag. Point to the floor. 
Point to the cross. Point to the door.” 

Aim to have the response to each command quick and deci¬ 
sive. Be sure that each pupil knows how to point with the 
index finger. 

Counting Game. Ask the pupils to count the words in the 
different lines of “ Run around the Room,” and “ Good 
Morning to You.” 

Story. “ The Old Woman and the Pig.” 

Review. Have the pupils read, sing, and act the jingle, 
“ Run around the Room.” Then teach the word skip. 

Sixth Day 

Hymn. Review u Dear Angel Ever at My Side.” Do 
not allow any child to force his voice. Strive for soft, sweet, 
and clear tones. Boys especially are apt to shout rather 
than sing. 

A Word Drill. Having placed the sight word cards around 
the room, the teacher calls on a pupil to find a long word, a 
short word, a word that has a tall letter at the beginning, one 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —SIXTH DAY 


49 


that has a tall letter at the end, one that has tall letters in the 
middle. This game reviews all the words and helps to 
strengthen word recognition. 

Teach This Jingle. 

This is the way 
The children play, 

The children play, 

The children play. 

This is the way 
The children play. 

This is the children’s way. 

In the first place, have the pupils say the words of the 
jingle by heart. Then teach them how to sing it. When 
the pupils have mastered the singing of the jingle, ask them 
to act it, taking care to make the exercise as pleasant and 
as enjoyable as possible. 

The u This Is ” Game. Put all the sight words in a col¬ 
umn. Call on the pupils to name them. Let them go 
through the list in this way: “ This is Run. This is boys. 
This is the room. This is children” etc. This game gives 
the children exercise in sentence building, and makes them 
better acquainted with the sight words. 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to make a table with four 
pegs. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Tell the children to string beads according 
to some definite direction, e.g. two red beads then two white 
beads, etc. 

Color Work. Ask the pupils to name things that are 
green. You may have to give them a start by saying the 
leaves of the trees are green, the grass is green, the plants 


50 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


are green. Better still have a number of green things on 
your desk or hanging on the blackboard. Ask the pupils to 
name these things and to say, “ The leaves are green.” 
When the color green has been studied have them tell you of 
things that are red. After this, pass out a piece of paper on 
which a square with a diagonal is drawn. Ask the children 
to fill in the top section with green crayon, and the lower 
section with red crayon. 

Drawing. Draw an apple on the blackboard, and have the 
children trace one on paper. 

Informal Phonics. Review the initial sound of c. Be 
just as thorough as you were in the previous lesson. Make 
sure that every pupil sees how you get the sound from the 
word cat. After reviewing the initial sound of the letter c, 
the teacher may draw on the board the picture of an apple. 
If possible, it should be colored. The pupils will find no 
difficulty in telling what the drawing represents. The 
teacher will then tell her class that she is going to print the 
word with the object. Then she will cover the object to see 
if the pupils can readily tell what the printed symbol is. 

After an effective drill on the printed word apple, the 
teacher will pronounce the word slowly, as a-pple. Have 
the pupils do the same, first in unison and then individually. 
Ask for the first sound. Cover the second part, and ask 
what the first part says. This will give the initial sound of 
a short. 

The teacher may give hints or suggestions. “ I know a 
round fruit which begins with a. (Teacher gives sound of 
short a.) Mary is a-bsent (slowly spoken word). There 
is a little girl in the first line whose name begins with a, 
(giving sound of short a).” 

Story. Tell the story of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph in the 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —SIXTH DAY 


51 


carpenter’s shop. Speak about the wonderful things that 
Joseph made for the Boy Jesus, and how Jesus helped His 
foster-father, St. Joseph. 

The Question Game. To encourage the pupils to think, 
ask a number of questions within their ability, such as, 
“ How many eyes have you? How many ears have you? 
How many hands have you? How many feet have you? 
How many lips have you ? How many fingers on one hand ? 
How many toes on two feet? How many doors in the 
room? How many windows in the room? ” 

Hymn. “ A Child’s Prayer.” 

P.M. 

Rote Song. Teach these words : 

Three small children in a room 
Busy sweeping with a broom. 

The “ See ” Game. Tell the children that you are going 
to play a new game. Assure them that it is very easy to 
play it. The only thing that they have to do is to keep their 
eyes open. Continue, “ There are a great many things in 
this classroom. Look at them all and be ready to tell me 
some of the things that you see when I call on you. Re¬ 
member, children, that only one pupil may speak at a time, 
and you must not repeat a thing that has been mentioned 
by any other pupil.” Begin like this : “ What do you see, 
John? ” “ I see a clock.” Continue this game until each 

pupil has given a sentence with I see. This exercise tends to 
develop the observation powers of the pupils, to cultivate 
their sentence-sense, to impress the phrase I see on their 
minds, and gives them an opportunity to express an idea. 


52 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Reading the Jingle. Have a quick review of what has been 
taught on the jingle, “ This is the Way.” Call upon chil¬ 
dren to recite it in unison and then individually. Have 
them sing it in unison and then individually. When this 
has been done thoroughly, have all the pupils read the entire 
jingle while the teacher points out the different lines as they 
are read. After this, let each pupil read the jingle. Then 
have individual pupils point out the various lines, and get 
them to recognize the groups, This is, the way, the children, 
play, the children’s way. Erase the jingle from the board 
and ask the pupils to give you the different lines. Write 
each line as it is given. Call upon other pupils to under¬ 
line the phrases, and to put a box around different words. 
Ask them to find these words among the Perception Cards. 

Things to Do. Find out how often each new word is 
repeated in the jingle. 

Sentence Building. Build this sentence, “ This is the way 
the children play.” 

Recess 

Seat Work. Give the pupils a copy of a mimeographed 
picture of a cat, and have them cut the picture out of the 
paper. It is generally advisable to show them how to do 
this. 

Reading Exercise. Review reading the jingle. Then 
change it to “ This is the way the children skip,” and “ This 
is the way the children run.” 

Memory Gem. Teach 

I love little pussy, 

Her coat is so warm; 

And if I don’t hurt her 
She’ll do me no harm. 


— Jane Taylor 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —SEVENTH DAY 


53 


Informal Phonics. Review the sound of c and the sound 
of a. Be sure that each pupil knows how to make each 
sound. 

Ear Training. Rhyming words : 


may 

man 

ball 

sat 

play 

pan 

fall 

rat 

say 

fan 

tall 

mat 


Picture Study. “ Feeding the Birds.” 

Follow the Leader. Review this game. Have all the 
pupils “ Follow the Leader ” three or four times around the 
classroom. After this, let them move up and down the aisles 
between the desks, and finally go three or four times around 
the room. In this game, you can have them run, skip, or 
play — anything to make the exercise enjoyable for the 
children. 

Observation Game. Have the pupils visit a toy shop. 
When they return to school ask them to tell you the different 
things they saw. 

Hymn. “ Dear Angel Ever at My Side.” 

Seventh Day 

Hymn. Teach the following lines : 

Mother of the Infant Jesus, 

Take me for your own dear child; 

Guide and guard me in all dangers, 

Teach me to be meek and mild. 

Before you ask the children to memorize or to sing these 
four lines, make sure that they really understand the mean¬ 
ing of the words. Tell them that in this hymn they are 
speaking to the Blessed Virgin, the Mother of the Infant 


54 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Jesus, and that they ask her for three things : first, that she 
should take each of them for her child; secondly, that she 
should guard them in all dangers; and thirdly, that she 
should teach them to be meek and mild like the Infant Jesus. 
If the little ones cannot grasp all this, let them understand 
that when singing the hymn they are talking to the Blessed 
Virgin, and that they are asking her for three favors. With 
an explanation something like this, the pupils will more 
readily learn the lines. 

Music Appreciation. Give the pupils a short concert of 
vocal or instrumental music. We cannot expect the child 
to analyze his sense of pleasure. It is sufficient that the 
child likes it or is acquiring appreciation of the best selec¬ 
tions. 

Drawing. Ask the pupils to trace the outline of a tilt. 
Afterwards, have them draw one without the outline. 

Memory Gem. Review “ I Love Little Pussy. ” It will 
add interest to the exercise to have a little toy cat in the 
room so that the pupils may take her in their hands and 
sing to her. 

Sentence Game. Place Perception Cards for all the words 
taught on the front blackboard. Call on one pupil to get the 
word this. When he finds it, have him stand in the front 
of the room facing the other children. Call on another 
pupil to find the word is. When he has the word, he stands 
beside the other pupil. Let some one else find the phrase, 
the way. Let him stand beside the second pupil. Ask an¬ 
other pupil to find the phrase, the children, and go to the 
front of the room. Have another pupil find the word play. 
Then ask the five children to put their cards together, and 
you have the sentence : “ This is the way the children play.” 
When this exercise has been done a number of times call on 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —SEVENTH DAY 


55 


the pupils to find the phrases: “ This is — the way — the 
children — play.” These phrases when put together will 
make the same sentence. An exercise of this kind will help 
to do away with the word-by-word reading that one some¬ 
times hears in the first grade. 

Reading Lesson. Introduce the word walk in the following 
jingles: “ Walk around the room,” and “ This is the way 
the children walk.” 

Read and Do. (1) Run, (2) skip, (3) hop, (4) walk. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Have the pupils form the figure 4 on the 
blackboard and on paper. 

Drill. Have a quick review of all the words, phrases, and 
sentences thus far taught. Strive for instantaneous recog¬ 
nition. Call especially on the pupils who are slow, back¬ 
ward, or timid. 

Picture Study. Allow the pupils to feast their eyes on a 
large picture of “ Samuel at Prayer,” or give each a penny 
copy of the same picture. The interpreting of this picture 
by the pupils cannot fail to have a beneficial and inspiring 
effect on them. It will help to bring to their youthful minds 
the duty of morning and evening prayer. 

Informal Phonics. Before beginning the new work, 
have a review of the sounds already taught. In order to 
teach the sound of t, place a picture of a top on the black¬ 
board, and proceed as in teaching the sound of c and a. 
When the sound of t is mastered by the pupils, place the 
word cat on the blackboard and ask for the three sounds in 
the word c-a-t. Perhaps some of the children could give 
other words that have the t sound as in top. They will doubt¬ 
less give such words as tub, tick, take, tooth, tip, etc. 


56 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Write words so contributed on board, coloring the initial 
letter. To impress association through ear and eye, have 
children repeat after the teacher: u Tub begins with t 
(sound); tick begins with t,” etc. Allow no mention of the 
?iame of the letter. 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to trace a top on the black¬ 
board and on paper. Under the picture of the top, the child 
places letter t, saying as he does so, “ Top begins with t ” 
(sound of letter). 

Physical Exercise. Class — Stand. Hands on hips — 
Place. Hands on shoulders — Place. Hands back of head 
— Place. Hands on head — Place,” etc. 

Story. “ Brother Babbit and the Little Girl.” 

P.M. 

Review. “ A Child’s Prayer.” 

The Bean Bag Game. Strive to get all the pupils inter¬ 
ested in this game. 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to talk about their baby 
brother or sister. Have them tell you things that he or she 
does. Ask them whether baby can walk, talk, sing, etc. 

Teach “I see a baby.” Ask the children about the baby 
in their homes. Ask them to tell you what the baby does. 
This brings the word baby into consciousness. Show them 
the picture of a baby on the blackboard. Question the 
children “ This is : — who?” Print the answer on the 
blackboard. (This is baby.) Print it on several places of 
the blackboard and drill. Then ask, “ You see — whom? ” 
(I see baby.) Ask, “ Who is this? ” (This is baby.) After 
the thought has been expressed by the children, develop the 
phrases contained in these sentences. “ I see a baby. This 
is a baby. I see the baby. This is the baby,” etc. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —SEVENTH DAY 


57 


Reading Exercise. After the foregoing drill, the children 
should be able to read the following sentences. Be sure 
that each pupil reads the sentence silently before giving it 
orally. 

See the baby. I see the baby. The children see the baby. 
Run, baby, run. See the baby run, etc. 

Action Song. Review “ All for Baby.” 

Recess 

Seat Work. Make the figure 2. 

Informal Phonics. Review. Write on the blackboard a 
number of words containing the following sounds of t, c, a , 
and have the children point them out: 


tea 

can 

Jack 

at 

act 

tag 

pet 

call 

sat 

tot 

came 

flag 

t 

c 

a 


Things to Do. Call on the pupils to make a house with 
blocks. 

Picture Study. The “ Madonna and Child ” by Janssen. 
This picture will serve to impress upon the minds of the 
children that the mother is the first teacher. It will give 
them an opportunity to tell the various things that their 
mothers taught them before they came to school. 

Sentence Building. Build this sentence : “ I see a baby.” 

The “ See ” Game. This exercise teaches the pupils to 
observe everything about them in the classroom, and gives 
them practice in the use of the phrase, I see. Writing these 
sentences on the board familiarizes them with the written 
form “ I see.” 


58 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Drawing. Put on the blackboard a tent, a window, a 
ladder, a table, and a chair. Let the pupils draw them on 
paper. 

Story. “ Henny Penny.” 

Eighth Day 


Hymn. “ Mother of the Infant Jesus.” Ask for three 
or four volunteers to sing it. Question the pupils as to the 
meaning of the hymn. 

Informal Phonics. Review in words the initial sounds 
a, t, c previously taught. 

Tongue Training. 


good run small 

gun Red see 

goose Riding snow 


very 

vest 

velvet 


Sentence Building. Have the pupils form sentences from 
the words already taught. 

Action Song. Teach the first verse of the “ Finger Fam¬ 
ily.” Let one child be the father, another the mother , another 
the sister, another the brother, and another the baby. The 
teacher says, “ How many in the family? You may answer, 
Fred.” “ There are five in the family, Sister.” “ Who are 
the five in the family? You may tell us, Anna.” “ They 
are the father, the mother, the sister, the brother, and the 
baby. 

The teacher holds up her hand, and asks, “ How many 
fingers?” “ Five.” “Very well, we will make believe 
that our fingers are a family. The thumb is the father 
(touch each finger as named), the next finger is the mother, 
the next is the tall sister, the next is the brother, and the 
little finger is the baby.” The teacher recites the first verse 
of the Finger Family : 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —EIGHTH DAY 


59 


I have a small family here, 

A family full of good cheer, 

A father, a mother, 

A sister, a brother, 

And a baby so cunning and dear. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Ask the children to form with pegs three 
lines of two’s across the desk and then a line of three’s. 
The teacher should inspect all this work, so as to guide the 
erring, to encourage the timid, and to praise the successful. 

Picture Study. “ The First Step,” by Millet. By a 
number of questions lead the pupils to see that this picture 
represents a father and a mother taking care of their baby. 
Ask them, “ What is the mother doing? Is the baby tired? 
Can the baby walk? What is the father doing? What 
does he want the baby to do ? Is the father in the house or 
out in the field? Have you a baby at home? Can he 
walk? How did he learn to walk? Who helped him to 
walk? ” 

Drawing. Have the children trace a father, a mother, 
and a baby. 

Oral Language. Let each pupil tell you about his father 
and his mother. Ordinarily they have many thoughts on 
this subject. Give them an opportunity to express them. 
It will lead up to the following lesson. 

Teach 11 Father ” and “ Mother .” Review the previous 
lesson on baby. Pay particular attention to the three tall 
letters and one short letter in the word. Then introduce 
the two new words. Ask the pupils, “ Who is it that goes 
out to work every morning to earn money for the family? ” 
They will tell you, “ Father,” “ Who is it that takes care 


60 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


of you at home, gets you ready for school, gets your break¬ 
fast, dinner, and supper, and loves you ever so much?” 
“ Mother.” 

When you have brought the idea of father and mother into 
the consciousness of the pupils, put a picture of a mother on 
the blackboard, and ask the children what it represents. 
They will tell you that it is the picture of a mother. Place 
the printed word mother under the picture. Call upon one 
of the pupils and ask him to tell you what this word says. 
He will answer, “ mother.” Place the word on another part 
of the blackboard and ask another pupil what it says. He 
will tell you, “ mother.” When one word is recognized, 
teach the other, point out the difference in the initial letters, 
and note that even as father is usually taller than mother , 
so is the first letter in his name taller than the first letter 
in mother’s name. 

Reading Exercise. 

This is the father. 

This is the mother. 

This is the baby, etc. 

Dramatization. Tell the story of “ The Three Bears,” in 
a very simple way emphasizing Father Bear and Mother 
Bear. Have the children reproduce the story. 

Music Appreciation. Tell the children that you are going 
to give them a concert and that they must listen attentively 
to the music so that they may be able to tell you about it 
later. Start the victrola with pieces that little children 
usually enjoy. Let the purpose be to educate these little 
children so that they will have a real appreciation for all 
that is beautiful, noble, and inspiring in music. Do not as 
a rule play the present-day popular music. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — EIGHTH DAY 


61 


P.M. 

Patriotic Song. Teach the first stanza of “ There Are 
Many Flags in Many Lands.” Before asking the children to 
learn the words of the song, tell them about the American 
Flag. Speak about the different colors in the flag, about the 
stars and the stripes, and bring out the fact that it is the best 
of all flags. With an introduction like this, the pupils will 
readily memorize and sing the first stanza. If there be a 
piano in the classroom or even in the building, be sure to 
use it while you are teaching the melody. 

There are many flags in many lands, 

There are flags of every hue; 

But there is no flag, however grand, 

Like our own “Red, White, and Blue.” 

Memory Gem. Teach : 

What does the bee do? 

Bring home honey. 

And what does father do ? 

Bring home money. 

And what does mother do ? 

Lay out money. 

And what does baby do? 

Eat up the honey. — Rossetti 

The teacher will first recite this poem as a whole. Let the 
pupils talk about it. When conversation is lacking, she will 
take up each question and answer individually. It will be 
necessary to tell many of the children about the bee and his 
habits; tell how he goes from flower to flower in summer, 
takes the honey from it, brings it back to the hive, and 
stores it away for winter. 

Oral Language. During this period, the teacher should 


62 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


endeavor to find out what the pupils know about God. To 
do this well, she must lead them to talk about the subject. 
She will learn from what they say that they have some ideas 
about the Creator. Their ideas may be indefinite. She 
can help to make them more definite as the lessons progress. 
She should impress above all that God is a kind and good 
Father — One that all children should love. 

Teach “ God ” and “ love.” Tell the pupils a short story 
about a little child who loved his father and his mother very 
dearly. Bring out the fact that he showed his love for his 
parents by doing everything they told him and by doing it 
promptly. Tell how he ran to meet his father every evening 
when he returned from work and how he always gave him a 
great big kiss. Mention the fact that the child liked to do 
things for his mother in the home, and that he was always 
ready and willing to run errands. 

One day, the mother took the little boy to church. While 
she was praying before the tabernacle, the little boy asked; 
“ Where is God, mother? I should like to speak to Him.” 
The mother answered, “ God is in the church, my dear. 
You can speak to Him now and He will hear you.” The 
little boy then said aloud, “ Mother says that You are in the 
church, and that You will listen to me if I speak to You. 
I want to talk to You. Dear God, I should like to get a 
football. If You send it to me, I shall love You always.” 
The very next day, the little boy got a package by express. 
What do you think was in the package? A real football. 

Teacher: God made — what? Write answers contributed. 

God made the world. 

God made mother. 

God made baby. 

God made me, etc. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — EIGHTH DAY 


63 


Teacher: Because God made you and made all your friends 

and made this lovely world, how do you feel toward 
God? 

Teacher writes, “I love God.” 

Teacher: Besides God, whom do you love? [Teacher writes 

answers contributed.] 

I love father. 

I love mother. 

I love baby, etc. 

The teacher will write these sentences on the blackboard 
where all the children can see them; and call on individual 
pupils to find and to read them. Make sure that the pupils 
get the thought before they try to read the words. 

Reading Exercise. 

I love father. 

I love mother. 

I love baby. 

I love God, etc. 

Story. “ Billy Bobtail.” 

Recess 

Seat Work. Ask the pupils to form the following sen¬ 
tences, “ I love God. The children love God. I love 
father. The children love father.” 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to make 1, 2, 3, 4 . 

The Bean Bag Game. This time the teacher might allow 
the pupils to toss the bean bags into her lap instead of into 
the basket. 

Ear Training: Slow Pronunciation. 


good 

tub 

top 

man 

Hood 

rub 

hop 

ran 

hand 

club 

stop 

tan 


64 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Nature Study. Call attention to the leaves turning brown. 
Explain how the wind comes along and shakes the leaves 
from the trees. Ask the children to collect a number of 
pretty brown leaves to bring to school. Tell them that some¬ 
times the leaves fall on the place where the flowers are asleep 
in the ground. In this way, they keep the earth warm when 
the snow comes. 


Ninth Day 

Patriotic Song. Review “ There Are Many Flags.” This 
exercise is made interesting by supplying each of the pupils 
with a small American flag to be held in the right hand. 
After the pupils have sung the lines two or three times, the 
teacher should encourage them to tell her about the Ameri¬ 
can flag. 

Drawing. Ask the pupils to trace from a pattern a small 
American flag. 

Teach 11 loves.” Review the lesson on God and love. 
Keep at it till the pupils know these words well. Tell what 
the children said in the last lesson. Mary said, “ I love 
father.” Anna said, “ I love God.” John said, “ I love 
mother.” Joseph said, “ I love baby.” 

Then say to the pupils, “ Does God love father? Does 
God love mother? Does God love baby? What do you 
think, Mary? ” “ I think He does. God loves father. 

God loves mother. God loves baby.” “ What did Mary 
say? ” “ Mary said, 1 God loves father. God loves mother. 

God loves baby/ ” “ Let me print these sentences : 

1. God loves father. 

2. God loves mother. 

3. God loves baby/’ 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — NINTH DAY 


65 


Call on several pupils to find the sentences and later to 
read them at sight. Ask, “ What does sentence 1 say? 
What does sentence 2 say? What does sentence 2 say?’’ 
Then call the pupils’ attention to love and loves. 

Reading Exercise. Make up a reading lesson embracing 
the words father, mother, baby, God, love, loves. 

The “ Who ” Game. This game is played by asking the 
pupils such questions as the following: “ Who loves the 
children ? Who loves father ? Who loves God ? Who 
loves baby? Who loves mother?” etc. These questions 
will make the pupils do a little thinking before they can 
answer them quickly and correctly. Bear in mind that some 
of the questions can be answered in more ways than one. 
So long as the answer given is correct, take it. 

Memory Gem. Teach: 

One, two, 

Tie my shoe. 

Three, four, 

Open the door. 

Five, six, 

Pick up sticks. 

Seven, eight, 

Open the gate. 

Nine, ten, 

Close it again. —Mother Goose 

If this rhyme is illustrated, it will help the pupils to master 
number facts. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Have three small circles and three small 
tents mimeographed on paper. Ask the pupils to fill the 


66 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


three circles with green crayon and the three tents with red 
crayon. 

Picture Study. 11 A Fascinating Tale,” by Ronner. 

Question Game. Object: To make the children more 
familiar with the numbers taught and to bring them within 
their own experience, call upon the pupils to answer ques¬ 
tions like the following: 

“How many feet has a cat? How many eyes has a cat? How 
many ears has a cat ? How many sisters have you ? How many 
brothers have you? How many pennies did mother give you? 
How many fingers on your two hands? How many toes on one 
foot? How many cats have you at home?” etc. 

Informal Phonics. Review in words the sounds of a, t, c. 
Teach the sound of /. Have the picture of a fan. Ask the 
pupils what it represents. Print the word fan under the 
picture. Put it in other convenient places on the black¬ 
board, and divide in this manner, f-an. Give the initial 
sound and the family slowly. Have the pupils do the same 
first in unison and then individually. Cover the -an and 
have them give the initial sound /. Ask for other words 
beginning with the / sound. 

Memory Gem. Review “ What Does Father Do ? ” Lead 
the children not only to memorize the words but to grasp the 
meaning thoroughly. 

A Race With Pointers. Object: To see which of two 
children can locate and say a dictated list of words. 

Oral Language. Induce the children to tell about week¬ 
end experiences. 

Story. “ The Cat and the Mouse.” 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —NINTH DAY 


67 


P.M. 

Hymn. “ Dear Angel Ever at My Side.” 

Patriotic Song. Review “ There Are Many Flags.” 
When the pupils have sung it to their hearts’ content, call 
upon a group of the pupils to sing the song, and finally see 
if there are individuals who can sing it. 

Oral Language. Give the pupils an opportunity to tell 
you about the places where they have been. 

Counting Game. Draw a square or a rectangle with a 
great many compartments. Place one of the words or 
phrases already learned in each. The educative work con¬ 
sists in counting the number of father’s, mother’s, run’s, etc. 

Picture Study. “ St. John and the Lamb.” 

Ear Training. Review t, c, short a, and /. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Put the outline of a kite on the board, and 
ask the children to make one with their pegs, or to draw it 
on paper. 

Action Song. Review the “ Finger Family.” 

Teach 11 Can You f ” The teacher will say to the pupils, 
u Do you know what a little boy said to me this morning as 
I was coming to school ? He came up to me and said, 1 Can 
you run ? ’ I am going to make the chalk tell you what the 
little boy asked me. Now that it is all printed, who can tell 
me what it is? ” Many pupils volunteer. The teacher calls 
upon one. “ What did the little boy say, Anna? What 
did the chalk print on the board? ” “ The chalk printed, 

‘ Can you run? ’” “ Who can tell me which of .these three 

words we had before? ” “ We had the word run before.” 

“ What are the new words in the sentence? ” “ The new 

words are can and you.” Develop these words as heretofore. 


68 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Reading Exercise. Precede questions by the following: 
Children ask one another questions beginning with “ Can 
you.” The teacher writes questions and answers on board 
to impress new words; or, individuals read questions silently, 
then ask a classmate the question they have read. Ex¬ 
ample : Can you hop ? Can you skip ? etc. 

The “ Chalk Line ” Game. Draw a chalk line on the floor 
about sixteen feet long for the pupils to walk on. Have the 
children stand at the side and the back of the room in single 
file. Call upon each pupil to walk the chalk line. This 
game tends to improve the carriage of the body and affords 
considerable amusement. 

Action Song. Sing and act “ Run around the Room.” 
Then change the word run to skip, hop, and walk. 

Story. “ The House That Jack Built.” 

Tenth Day 

Hymn. “ Mother of the Infant Jesus.” 

Test. In this quick and brief review, the chief object is 
to recall the words, the phrases, and the sentences learned 
on the previous day. It is a good plan to have these words, 
phrases, and sentences on different parts of the blackboard 
to see whether the pupils recognize them. This drill may be 
supplemented by using the Perception Cards, the Phrase 
Cards, and the Sentence Cards. 

“Can You See ” Game. This game gives the pupil an 
opportunity to express his answer in a complete sentence as 
well as to become familiar with the group of words, Can you 
see? The teacher begins the game by asking, “ Mary, can 
you see the clock? ” Mary answers, and then asks another 
pupil a similar question. The game continues until the 
object of the game is reached. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —TENTH DAY 


69 


Informal Phonics. Review in words the sounds of a , t, c. 
Teach the sound of m. Place the picture of a man on the 
board, ask the pupils what it represents, and they will tell 
you that it is a man. Print the word man under the picture. 
Put it in some other convenient place on the board, divide the 
word in this manner, m-an. Give the initial sound and the 
family slowly. Have the pupils do the same first in unison, 
then individually. Put your hand over the an, and have 
them give you the initial sound of m. Ask the pupils for 
other words beginning with the m sound. 


Recess 


Seat Work. Give each pupil a mimeographed copy of a 
dozen or more sentences in which there are several of the 
sight words already learned. From this paper have them 
cut out all the words that they know. 

Picture Study. “ Christ Blessing Little Children.” 

Color Work. Place on the board three tents: one filled 
in with red chalk, one with green chalk, and one with blue 
chalk. Test the color knowledge of feach child. Then have 
him fill in three mimeographed tents : one with red, one with 
green, and one with blue chalk. 

Things to Do. From the sight words already taught have 
the children pick out those with two, three, or four letters. 

Have the pupils make the figure 5. 


Patriotic Song. “ 
Tongue Training. 


P.M. 

There are Many Flags.” 


candy 

can 

country 


Joseph 

Jack 

Jill 


way 

well 


warm 


70 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Tongue training should be continued. The teacher will 
provide drill on those letters that will meet the individual 
needs of the pupils. 

Select m from the following words: 

mother drum room 

am grandmother 

Ear Training. 

room red Rover 

run roll Robert 

11 Bean Bag” Game. Bean bags afford an almost endless 
number of games for indoor use. Place on the floor a piece 
of paper eight inches by ten. Have each pupil stand about 
seven feet away. The purpose of the game is to see how 
many of the six bean bags he can toss on the paper. This 
exercise is interesting and exciting when there is a contest 
between groups of pupils. 

Silent Reading. Place on the board the following sen¬ 
tences : 

Can you run? Can mother run? Can the children run? 
Can the boys run? Can the cat run? Can baby run? Can 
baby see? Can you see? etc. 

Before asking the pupils to read the sentences silently and 
give the answers orally, ask the questions of the pupils not 
once but several times. This will naturally lead up to the 
silent reading. Tell one of the brightest pupils that you want 
him to read to himself the first sentence, and to tell you the 
answer. Do not permit the pupils to read the questions 
orally. Insist upon silent reading of the question from the 
beginning. When the pupils can answer the questions cor¬ 
rectly, you will know that they can get the thought expressed 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —TENTH DAY 


71 


by the words of the question. This is one of the most 
important purposes of reading. 

Oral Language. Tell the children about a parade that 
you saw. Give them a picture of a boy with a drum, leading 
a number of small boys through the main street. Ask them 
to talk about the parades they saw. 

Teach “ march .” The teacher says, “ Some time ago, a 
little girl said to her father, ‘ Can you march, Father? ’ 
To the little girl’s question the father answered, ‘ I can 
march.’ Now, what did the little girl ask her father? 
Who can tell me? Fred, you may tell what the little girl 
said to her father.” “ The little girl said to her father, 
‘ Can you march? ’ ” “ I will make the chalk print what 

she said. Here it is: ‘ Can you march f 1 Who can tell 
me what the father answered ? Mary, you may tell me what 
the father answered.” “ The father answered, ‘ I can 
march.’ ” 

Call on the pupils to read the two sentences, telling them 
beforehand that one sentence asks a question and the other 
sentence answers it. Have them point out the different 
words in both sentences. Dwell especially on the word 
march. Have them tell you how many letters in the word. 
How many short letters and how many tall letters? Ask 
them where the tall letter comes. Is it the first or the last 
letter of the word ? etc. 

Reading Exercise. Can you march? I can march. 
Father can march. Mother can march. Can baby march ? 
Baby can march. See baby march. March, baby, march. 
March around the room. 

Jingle. Sing and play “ March around the Room.” 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to make the figure 6 on the 
board and on paper. 


72 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Recess 

Seat Work. The exercise is to ascertain whether or not 
the pupils know what is meant by front, back, left, right. 
While the children are sitting at their desks, the teacher 
says to them, “ Who wants to play a game? ” In answer 
to her question, every hand is raised. “ Very well, then, let 
us begin the game. Now listen to every command I give, 
and do as I say. Raise your hands over your head. Touch 
the two front corners of the desk. Touch the two back 
corners. Raise the right hand. Bring it down. Raise the 
left hand. Bring it down. Raise both hands. Place the 
hands flat on the desk/’ etc. 

Picture Study. 11 A Little Child Shall Lead Them.” 

Drawing. Give a mimeographed outline of a cross to the 
pupils, and ask them to trace the outline with soft pencil, 
and then to draw another cross. 

Things to Do. From the word cards have the children 
select such as have a tall letter in the middle of the word and 
such that have a tall initial letter. 

Action Song. “ The Finger Family.” 

Number Jingle. Repeat “ One, two,” etc. 

Eleventh Day 

Hymn. Teach “ I love You, dear Jesus.” Before hav¬ 
ing the pupils memorize these words, tell them a short story 
something like this: “ Once upon a time, a little girl visited 
the Christmas Crib in her parish church. When she saw 
the Infant Jesus in the manger, what do you think she said? 
Did she speak to Him ? Did she go on her knees ? Did she 
tell Him she loved Him? If you children had been there, 
what would you have said? I will tell you what the little 
girl in the story said. Here are her words: 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — ELEVENTH DAY 


73 


“I love You, dear Jesus! 

I love You, my dear; 

I will love You and love You 
Every day of the year.” 

Oral Language. Ask the children to bring apples to 
school. By skillful questioning have them tell you where 
apples grow, how they are harvested, etc. Be satisfied with 
any little anecdote about an apple that has come within 
their own experience. 

Informal Phonics. Review in words all the initial sounds 
that have been taught. Then talk about a beautiful red 
rose that grew in a convent garden. Tell how all the Sis¬ 
ters admired it. The purpose of this introduction is to get 
the children thinking about a red rose. Have a red rose or 
the picture of a red rose under a curtain, draw aside the 
curtain, and let the pupils look at it. Pronounce slowly 
r-ed r-ose. Have the pupils do the same. This will help to 
emphasize the sound of r. Have them tell you the first 
sound in each word. Ask them to give other words that 
have the r sound. Let all these words also be sounded 
slowly, such as r-at, r-un, r-ing , r-ock, r-oad, r-ide, etc. 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to make on the blackboard 
the figures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and afterwards to make them on 
paper. 

Story. The teacher will tell the pupils a short story about 
a little boy dressed in a red, white, and blue suit playing a 
big drum while a number of little boys and girls marched 
around the hall. Tell how the grown people who were in 
the hall cheered the little drummer boy, and that he stopped, 
took off his hat, and bowed to the audience. The idea of 
the story is to lead the pupils to get the thought of the coming 
reading lesson. 


74 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Recess 

Seat Work. Ask the children to select from mimeographed 
sentences all those that end with a period, and all those that 
end with a question mark. 

Oral Language. Have the pupils talk about a drum. 
Ask them if they ever saw a drum, or if they have a drum 
at home. All little children think they would like to play 
the drum. If some of the pupils have never seen a drum, 
bring out the little one that you have in the classroom. 

Teach “ Drum ” and “ Fred.” The previous period has 
prepared the way for the teaching of the words drum and 
Fred. Begin something like this : 

“Once upon a time, I knew a little boy whose name was Fred. 
He was a very kind and loving little fellow. Every one liked him. 
When Christmas came, Fred received many presents. Among 
these gifts was a big drum. Fred liked the drum better than any¬ 
thing else he received. Why do you think he liked the drum so 
well ? Because he knew it would make a big noise, and boys, you 
know, like noise. One day a little girl said to Fred: ‘Drum, 
Fred, drum. Drum, drum.’ Fred put the drum in place, took 
the drum sticks, and began to drum. The little girl said to him: 
‘I see you can drum, Fred.’” 

The teacher then asks : 

“What is the boy’s name?” “The boy’s name is Fred.” 
“Mary, you may tell us what this word is.” “The word is Fred.” 
“How many letters in the word?” “Four.” “How many tall 
letters?” “Two.” “How many short letters?” “Two.” 
“Where are the tall letters?” “At the beginning and at the end 
of the word.” 

Place the picture of a drum on the blackboard. Ask the 
children to tell you what it is. Ask them, “ Who got a drum 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — ELEVENTH DAY 


75 


for Christmas? ” Ask if any pupil in the class has a drum. 
Print the word drum under the picture. Ask the pupils 
what the word is. “ How many letters in the word ? Is the 
tall letter at the beginning or at the end? ” Place the word 
drum on several parts of the blackboard and ask another 
pupil what each word is. Place the word Fred on different 
parts of the blackboard and have the pupils tell you what 
each is. This should be followed by a drill on the percep¬ 
tion cards to develop instantaneous recognition. 

Can you drum ? 

Can you drum? 

Can you drum, drum, drum? 

Reading Exercise. 

See Fred drum! 

See Fred drum! 

See Fred drum, drum, drum! 

The 11 Drum ” Game. All the pupils line up in a single 
file around the classroom. One of the brightest boys is 
given the drum and the drum sticks. He stands at the head 
of the line. The victrola plays a lively march and the 
drummer beats time while the pupils mark time. When 
the teacher says “ Forward — March,” the drummer keeping 
time on the drum leads the children around the room. In 
this exercise, insist on the proper bearing of each child. It 

may be necessary to say, 11 Left — right, - left — right,” 

until each child keeps exact time. It adds interest to change 
the drummer. 

P.M. 

Hymn. “1 Love You, Dear Jesus.” 

Reading Lesson. First have the pupils find out all the 



76 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


words of the hymn that they know. Then teach the other 
words. Give the children every opportunity to tell what 
the new words are. Finally call upon the pupils to read 
the four lines. 

Ear Training: Slow Pronunciation. 

r-abbit 

r-iver 

R-over 

r-ain 

Select r from the following words: 

green 

March 

year 

tree 

dear 

Ear Training. 


love 

lady 

little 

lamp 

like 

lamb 


The 11 Cat ” Game. Tell the pupils that you are going 
to have a game. Tell them that in this game the children 
will make believe that they are cats, that they will have to 
walk like cats, make a noise like cats, and wash their faces 
like cats. Begin with a few volunteers. After a short time, 
all the pupils will want to act like cats. Have them march 
around the room to the music of the victrola, or blindfold 
a child, let another child say me-ow three times. Have the 
blindfolded child guess who said me-ow. 

Picture Study. Have a large picture of the Holy Family, 
or distribute to the pupils penny pictures of the same sub- 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — ELEVENTH DAY 


77 


ject. They have already heard about the Infant Jesus and 
the Blessed Virgin. In this exercise, lead them to talk 
especially of St. Joseph. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Ask the pupils to make fences and gates with 
pegs. It is well to have a copy of each on the board. 

Action Song. Review the “ Finger Family.” 

Picture Study. 11 The Birth of Our Lord,” by Correggio 
or by LeRolle. 

Oral Language. Have the children tell you all they know 
about Jesus. 

Silent Reading. Place on the blackboard the following 
questions to be read silently and answered orally: (1) Can 
you drum? (2) Can Fred drum? (3) Can you march? 
(4) Can Fred march? (5) Can you run? (6) Can Fred 
run? Insist that each child read the question in silence 
and tell you the answer so that all may hear it. The first 
results of silent reading may not be encouraging. Neverthe¬ 
less, it is very important to develop the habit from the out¬ 
set. If, however, a child does not catch the idea, and insists 
upon reading the question aloud, allow another child to ask 
him the question and let him answer it. 

Jingle. Instead of using the word play in the jingle, 
“ This is the Way,” substitute the word drum. Call upon 
many pupils to read at sight the changed jingle: 

This is the way 
The children drum, 

The children drum, 

The children drum. 

This is the way 
The children drum. 

This is the children’s way. 


78 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


The “ Find ” Game. Call upon the pupils to find the dif¬ 
ferent perception cards that can be seen in the room; for 
example, find children, boys, room, play, etc. 

Twelfth Day 

Hymn. “ I Love You, Dear Jesus.” 

Review. Can you drum? 

Picture Study. Give each of the pupils a copy of “ Can’t 
You Talk? ” and lead him to tell you what the picture tells 
him. At first you may have to ask a number of questions 
to get the pupils to talk about the picture. Make it a point 
to show nothing but the best specimens of art. 

Teach 11 dog,” “ says,” 11 bow-wow,” and “ me-ow .” To 
lead up to this lesson, ask the pupils what the dog says. 
They will tell you, 11 The dog says bow-wow .” Ask them 
what the cat says. They will answer, “ The cat says me-ow.” 
When these two replies are well known by the children, 
print on the blackboard : 

The dog says, “Bow-wow.” 

The cat says, “Me-ow.” 

Have each child repeat these two sentences. It will not 
be amiss if some of them know the sentences by heart. Then 
pick out the different words. Call on the brightest children 
first. Have them come out one by one to the board. Begin 
with the two words with which they are already acquainted ; 
then take the words, dog, says, bow-wow, me-ow. Place all 
these words on different parts of the board. Never separate 
such phrases as the dog, the cat. 

Drawing. Ask the pupils to trace the figure of a dog and 
of a cat. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —TWELFTH DAY 


79 


Recess 

Seat Work. Have the pupils match Word Cards to the 
pictures of cat and dog which they have cut. 

Informal Phonics. It is a good plan to have in a conven¬ 
ient place on the blackboard a list of the sounds that have 
been taught. They will remind the pupils of the sounds 
that they know, and they will prompt the teacher to review 
these sounds daily. 

After a brief review of the previous sounds, the teacher 
should tell the children a story about a little lamb that was 
playing in a large field. She should take this occasion to 
recall some interesting facts about little lambs. After this 
she should endeavor to lead the pupils to talk about the little 
lambs that they have seen. Then draw aside the curtain 
and show the picture of a little lamb. The pupils will tell 
the teacher what the picture represents. Place the printed 
symbol underneath the picture. Call on one of the children 
to tell you what it says. Place the word on other parts of 
the blackboard. Have other pupils tell you what the word 
says. Have the slow pronunciation l-amb. Get the sound 
of l. Ask the pupils for other words with the l sound. 

Sentence Building. Build the sentence, “ I love You, 
dear Jesus.” 

The u Missing Word ” Game. Erase the sentences on the 
blackboard. Print the following so that the children may 
have an opportunity to supply the missing words: 

The dog says- 

The cats says-. 

The-says, “Bow-wow.” 

The-says, “Me-ow.” 

“ Number ” Game , Call on one pupil to stand near the 


80 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


teacher’s desk. Ask, “ How many pupils are standing? ” 
They will answer, “ One.” Have another pupil go to the 
front of the room. Ask, “ How many pupils are standing? ” 
They will answer, “ Two.” Have another pupil go to the 
front. Ask again, “ How many pupils are standing?” 
They will answer, “ Three.” Keep increasing the number 
one by one until you get as many as ten. Send these ten 
to their seats and call upon ten others to continue the game, 
and so on until all the pupils have participated in the exer¬ 
cise. This game gives a valuable lesson in number facts, 
and it shows how numbers grow. 

Story. “ Tom Thumb.” 


P.M. 

Patriotic Song. “ There Are Many Flags.” 

Review. Ask each pupil to read “ I love You, dear Jesus.” 

Picture Study. “ The Boy and the Rabbit.” 

The 11 Find ” Game. Draw a rectangle made up of several 
sections. Place in each section one of the words or phrases 
found in the previous lessons. Call upon the children to 
find the words or phrases. 


says 

you 

love 

The cat 

me-ow 

play 

march 

The dog 

Fred 

bow-wow 

baby 

the drum 


Phonics. Review the sounds of t, c, short a, /, m, r, l. 


Recess 

Seat Work. Procure a number of cardboard representa¬ 
tions of a box. Give one to each of the pupils and have him 









PRE-PRIMER WORK — THIRTEENTH DAY 


81 


trace with a pencil around the cardboard. Show him how to 
keep the cardboard in the same place while he is tracing 
around it. When he removes the cardboard, he will have 
the outline of a box. 

Story. “ The Boy and the Goat.” 

Teach 11 walk.” “ Would you know the word walk if you 
saw it? I am going to print walk. Watch the chalk. 
What is the word that I printed? ” “ The word is walk.” 

The teacher then prints walk on several parts of the board, 
and calls on different pupils to tell what it is. 

Reading Exercise. Call on pupils to give sentences in 
which walk is used. Before asking the pupils to read these 
sentences, have them point out the word in the sentences. 

“ Walking ” Game. Form the pupils around the room, 
making sure that you have a good leader. Have each 
pupil place his hands on the shoulders of the one in front. 
When all are arranged, have them walk around the class¬ 
room once or twice. After this, have the pupils place their 
hands on their hips and walk around the room. The oftener 
you change the pose of the pupils, the better they like it. 
You may have them put their hands behind their backs, 
or over their heads, or in front of them — anything to give 
variety to the exercise. 

Sentence Building. Form sentences about the different 
action words: such as, run, walk, march, etc. 

Thirteenth Day 

Hymn. “ Dear Angel Ever at My Side.” 

Seat Work. Show the children how to fold a piece of 
paper in half. 

Music Appreciation. The chief object of this period is to 
familiarize the pupils with worth-while selections. 


82 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Oral Language. Have a conversation lesson on a little 
girl and her doll. Let the pupils tell about their dolls as 
well as the dolls they have seen in the store windows. It 
will help the children to enjoy this lesson if you have one 
or two dolls in the classroom. 

Teach 11 Anna ” and “ Doll A Tell about a little friend 
of yours whose name is Anna. Make her a loving character. 
Picture a child who is fond of her mother and her father and 
all the little children of her age. Explain that she has many 
playthings, but that she likes her doll best of all. Relate 
that she dresses the doll every morning, goes with her to the 
dining room, and takes her out in the doll carriage for a long 
stroll, etc. 

Ask one of the pupils, “ What is the girTs name? ” 
“ Anna is her name.” “ Watch the chalk print the word 
Anna.” Call on a pupil to tell what it is. Place it on 
several parts of the blackboard, and ask various children to 
pronounce it. Call attention to the big letter at the begin¬ 
ning of the word. 

Ask a few more questions about the kind of girl Anna is. 
Inquire what plaything she liked best. This will introduce 
the word doll. Then teach the printed word doll. 

Memory Gem. Review the Memory Gems, the Nurs¬ 
ery Rhymes, and the Jingles that have been taught. When 
possible get the pupils to play them. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Tell the pupils that you want them to make 
a window with two panes, and one with four panes. Have 
on the board a sample of what you want them to do. If 
necessary, show them how to make both of these, by using 
long splints that can be glued to the blackboard. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — THIRTEENTH DAY 


83 


Story. Give the pupils an account of “ Little Samuel and 
His Mother.” Stress the characteristics that appeal to 
children. 

Ear Training. Rhyming words. 


gate 

flag 

sky 

sleep 

late 

bag 

why 

weep 


tag 

fry 

keep 



try 

peep 


Teaching Colors. Let the teacher hold an American flag 
in her hand, and ask the colors in the flag. The children 
will tell her at once that the colors are red, white, and blue. 
Have on each child’s desk little cardboards with red, white, 
and blue. Ask the pupils to hold up the red card, the blue 
card, and the white card. Place on the board three small 
tents, like this: 

1. A This is red. 

2. A This is white. 

3. A This is blue. 

Be sure that one tent is filled in with red, another with 
white, and another with blue. When the pupils have finished 
this exercise, ask them to tell you the things that are red, 
white, or blue. This will help to test their knowledge of 
these colors. 

Things to Do. Have the pupils make the figures 1,2,3, 
I+, 5, 6, on the blackboard and on paper. 

Number Work. Ask the pupils to place the pegs in three’s 
on their desks. Tell the children that those who do well 
will have their names placed on the Honor Roll. 

Things to Do. See how many pupils can walk around the 
classroom with a bean bag on their heads. Bear in mind that 
the bean bag is not to be held on the head. 


84 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


P.M. 

Patriotic Song. — Teach this little song: 

I love the flag, 

My country’s flag. 

I'll love it till I die. 

I love the stars, 

I love the stripes, 

That flutter in the sky. 

Matching. Give each pupil a number of pieces of blue, 
green, white, and red paper. Tell them to place the colors 
on their desks and to put near them the words that say blue, 
green, white, or red, as the case may be. 

Ear Training. 


doll 

drum 

around 

day 

do 

Fred 

dear 

draw 

bird 


Story. “ The Lion and the Mouse.” 

Picture Study. 11 A Helping Hand.” 

A Game Like “ Ten Pins.” Take ten pieces of stiff paper 
10 by 12 inches and roll like a cylinder. Stand them on the 
floor like ten pins. The child stands about ten feet from 
them and tries to knock them down by rolling a ball against 
them. Each pin knocked down counts two. 

Things to Do. Give each child a square “ garden ” 
made of cardboard. Ask him to place a fence of splints 
around the garden. 

Nature Study. Tell the children a short story about the 
nuts that fall from the trees. Tell them how many animals 
depend upon nuts and other fall fruits for winter food. 
Perhaps some little ones have seen the squirrels gather nuts. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — THIRTEENTH DAY 


85 


Recess 

Seat Work. Give each pupil a paper with an outline of an 
American flag. Have him cut out the outline with a pair 
of scissors, and draw a duplicate of the outline on another 
piece of paper. 

Teach “ American ” and “ Flag.” Let one of the pupils 
stand in the front of the room, holding in his right hand the 
American flag. Ask the children to sing, “ There Are Many 
Flags.’’ This will put them in the proper spirit for a lesson 
on the American flag. The teacher might ask the children, 
“ What flag is this ? ” Some will answer, “ This is our flag.” 
11 This is the red, white, and blue.” “ This is the American 
flag.” When the last answer is given, the teacher will print 
it on the board. Again the teacher will ask, “ What is this ?” 
The class will answer, “ This is the American flag.” The 
teacher will print the sentence again, and say to the children, 
“ The chalk is going to print what you said.” The teacher 
then asks the pupils to read the sentence and the groups of 
words in the sentence. This being done, the individual words, 
American and flag, should be studied. 

Reading Exercise. 

See the American flag. I see the American flag. This is the 
American flag. I love this flag. Etc. 

“ Flag ” Game. Let the pupils form a single file at the 
back and side of the classroom. Let each child have a little 
American flag in his hand. Start the victrola and have the 
children march several times around the room. When all 
are in the position from which they started, have each pupil 
say in turn : 

“This is the American flag. 

I love the American flag.” 


86 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Sentence Building. Have the pupils form “ I love the 
American flag.” 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to pick out the sight words 
with five letters. 

Fourteenth Day 

Patriotic Song. Sing “ I love the Flag.” Let each pupil 
hold with his right hand a small American flag, so that he 
can speak to the flag while he is singing the song. 

Color Game. Have in the classroom a number of things 
that are either red, white, blue, or green. Make sure that 
they can be readily seen by all the children. The teacher 
says to the pupils, “ Find blue. Find green. Find red. 
Find white.” Continue in this way until each colored 
article is in the hands of one of the pupils. 

Picture Study. Give each child a picture of “Children 
of the Shell,” by Murillo. Lead him to talk about the 
picture. 

Reading Lesson. Induce the pupils to ask questions about 
Jesus. Print sentences on the board that present no special 
difficulties. Have the children read these sentences. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Have the children form the following sen¬ 
tences : “ Can you drum ? Can you drum ? Can you drum, 
drum, drum? ” 

“ Seesaw ” Game. Have each child stand in the aisle 
at the right of his seat. Tell the children to get ready for the 
seesaw movement. Show them what you want them to do. 
Tell them that while they are doing it, they must count to 
ten and then begin over again. In this way, the pupils learn 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — FOURTEENTH DAY 


87 


to count through play. When the children are tired of 
counting, ask them to say the following words while they are 
playing the game. 

Up, down, 

Up, down, 

Wear a smile, 

But not a frown. 

Up, down, 

Up, down, 

Wear a smile, 

But not a frown. 

Story. “ The Little Pig.” 

Physical Exercise. Clap hands in front, back, above the 
head, first slowly, then quickly. 

Things to Do. Act the following words: run, hop, skip, 
walk, march, play, drum. Continue this exercise, combining 
familiar words : e.g. Skip around the room. Walk to me. 
Etc. 

Informal Phonics. Review all the sounds thus far 
taught, and teach the sound of d. Induce the children to 
give you words beginning with the sound of d. 


day grandmother find 

drum hands hand 

dog children grand 

d d d 


P.M. 

Hymn. Sing, “ I Love You, Dear Jesus.” After sing¬ 
ing it two or three times, ask the pupils to tell you what the 
hymn means. Ask them to whom they are talking, and what 
they say to Him, etc. 


88 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Drawing. Let the pupils trace from cut-outs the figure 
of a bird and the figure of a house. 

Story. Tell the story of the Creation. 

“ Changing Sides ” Game. All the pupils are standing 
at one side of the classroom. The aim is to reach the other 
side. The teacher makes the sound of c. She calls on one 
pupil after another to pronounce a word with the c sound, 
such as cat, cot, cut, etc. When a child gives a word, he passes 
over to the other side. When the words with the sound of 
c are exhausted, the teacher takes up another sound that they 
know. 

Reading Lesson. Review the reading lesson about Anna 
and her doll to make sure that the pupils have mastered the 
words, Anna, doll, American, flag. 

Informal Phonics. Review d. 

Ear Training. 


no 

noon 

now 

near 

Nell 

name 

new 

need 


Recess 

Seat Work. Lead the children to find out all the words 
beginning with the sound of c, t, h, and n, and put them in 
four separate piles. 

Story. “ Snowwhite.” 

Picture Study. 11 Saved,” by Landseer. 

Oral Language. Have a large picture of the Infant Jesus 
in the classroom. Let it be where all the pupils can see it. 
Ask each child to tell you about the picture. 

The “ Jumping-Jack” Game. Let four pupils hide behind 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — FIFTEENTH DAY 


89 


the teacher’s desk. Let one have a red face, another a 
blue face, another a green face, another a white face. 
When everything is ready, the different faces bob up one 
at a time and the children are to tell the color of the face 
instantly. 

Review. Call on the pupils to point to the different sight 
words. 

Fifteenth Day 

Hymn. Sing “ I Love You, Dear Jesus.” Develop 
class singing, group singing, and if possible individual sing¬ 
ing of the hymn. Every effort on the part of a child is a 
step in the right direction. Many first-grade children can 
sing alone some of the popular songs. This shows that 
they can sing a hymn when they know the words and the 
melody. 

The “Erase ” Game. Place all the words and the phrases 
thus far learned on the blackboard. Call on the pupils to 
tell you what they are and to erase them one by one. Con¬ 
tinue this game until all the words and phrases are erased. 

Picture Study. “ Jesus and the Child,” by Balhein. 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to make the figure 7 on the 
board and on paper. 

Teach “ Am” “ My” and “ Country.” Place on the black¬ 
board the following sentences: “ I am an American. I 
love the American flag. I love my country. I love God.” 
Let all the pupils pick out the new words in these sen¬ 
tences. Develop these words as heretofore. Have the 
pupils use them in sentences. Then have a reading lesson 
on them. 

Acting the Lesson. When each pupil can read these 
sentences help him to memorize them so that he may act 


90 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


them. Supply the children with small American flags. 
As they stand facing the large flag, have them say in unison, 
“ I am an American. I love the American flag. I love my 
country. I love God.” 

Music Appreciation. Play on the piano or the victrola 
a number of pieces that little children like. Let the selec¬ 
tions be choice. The child cannot define why he likes them, 
but the satisfaction felt without analysis is elevating. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Give each pupil a mimeograph copy of the 
American flag, and ask him to color it. 

Story. “ Little Snowwhite.” 

Picture Study. “ The Spirit of ’76.” 

Informal Phonics. Review in words the sounds already 
taught. After this, teach the sound of n. Ask the pupils 
to give you words beginning with the sound of n. When they 
have given all they know, place a few additional ones on 
the board so that they may have ample practice in making 
the sound. 

The Child’s Creed. Have the pupils build, “ I am an 
American. I love the American flag. I love my country. 
I love God.” 

Oral Language. Place an orange on your desk. Let the 
pupils tell you all they know about it. Ask them what 
color it is, etc. 

Color Work. Place on the blackboard the following five 
colors: red, white, blue, green, and orange. Tell the chil¬ 
dren that there is a new color on the board. Let them find 
out what it is. Ask them to name things of that color. 
Place the printed symbol underneath each color. Have the 
pupils match the Perception Cards and the colors. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — FIFTEENTH DAY 


91 


P.M. 

Hymn. “ Mother of the Infant Jesus.” 

Silent Reading. Place a number of sentences on the 
board. Call upon the pupils to read them silently and to 
do what they say, such as: “ 1. Run around the room. 
2. Walk around the room. 3. Hop around the room. 
4. Skip around the room. 5. Play around the room. 
6. March around the room.” 

Informal Phonics. Review t, c, short a, f, n, r, l, d, n. 

Perception Card Game. The teacher holds all the Percep¬ 
tion Cards that the children know. She begins the game by 
calling on one of the pupils to tell her what the word is that 
she holds up. If the child can pronounce the word, he is 
given the card. But if he cannot tell what it is, she asks 
another pupil. The game is continued until all the Percep¬ 
tion Cards are in the hands of the children. Then the 
teacher finds out how many cards each pupil has. The one 
who has the largest number of cards wins the game. 

Paper Folding. Give each pupil a sheet of paper and 
show the class how to fold it into different sizes. Make sure 
that every pupil is folding it the correct way. 

Story. “ Jack and the Beanstalk.” 

Recess 

Seat Work. Ask the children to find all the sight words 
with five, six, or seven letters, and to put them into three 
piles. 

Things to Do. Have the pupils make the figure 8 on the 
board and on paper. 

Conversation Period. Give an informal talk about the 
pupils’ homes and the members of the family. Ask who 


92 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


wakes them every morning, and who gets them ready for 
school. Find out whether or not they can help themselves. 
Suggest that they should learn to do so. 

Phrases. Ask the children to tell you all the phrases 
that they know. As they give them to you place them on the 
blackboard so that all may see them. Then have the pupils 
give you the sentences using these phrases. 

Reading Lesson. Call upon each pupil to read at once and 
without halting the four sentences of “ The Child’s Creed.” 

The “ Seesaw ” Game. Review this game until each child 
can sing and act it with pleasure and profit. 

Review “ red ” “ white,” “ blue.” — Introduce these words 
in connection with the American flag. 

Nature Study. Before beginning this exercise, ask the 
pupils to bring to the classroom fruits and vegetables that 
are in season. Lead the children to talk about each of them. 

Sixteenth Day 

Review. Read, sing, and act “ Good Morning to You,” 
“ Run around the Room,” “ This is the Way the Children 
Play.” 

Word Drill. The teacher shows one of the words taught, 
the pupil tells what it is. This aids instantaneous recogni¬ 
tion. 

Tongue Training: Slow Pronunciation. 


t-on 

c-an 

a-n 

f-at 

m-orning 

t-all 

c-ame 

a-m 

f-ather 

m-other 

t-rain 

c-at 

a-t 

f-air 

m-arch 

t-op 

c-all 

a-nd 

f-ill 

m-y 

t 

c 

a 

f 

m 


A Color Party. Give a small piece of colored paper to 
each of the pupils. Have an equal number of each color. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — SIXTEENTH DAY 


93 


The game is played by saying, “ Green, stand. Green, sit. 
Red, stand. Red, sit. Blue, stand. Blue, sit. White, 
stand. White, sit. Orange, stand. Orange, sit.” As soon 
as the teacher gives the command, all the pupils having 
the color called must obey orders. 

Oral Language. During this period, lead the pupils to 
tell you about their brothers or their sisters. Be sure to 
allow the children to do most of the talking. 

Recess 

Seat Work. From the sight words pick out those with 
one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven letters, and place 
them in seven piles. 

Story. “ The Three Bears.” 

Physical Game . Swing the arms like a wheel. Twirl 
them out, up, back, down. This movement is excellent for 
chest development. 

The u Family ” Game. Call upon five of the most wide¬ 
awake children to act like father, mother, sister, brother, and 
baby. When the first five have finished, call upon five 
others, and so on. The pupils who are taking the parts of the 
different characters should be in the front of the room where 
they can be seen by all the other children. 

Teach 11 Brother ” and “ Sister .” To bring these two 
words into the consciousness of the pupils, have them play 
the “ Finger Family.” Question them about the different 
members of the family, and they will tell you that there are 
five : the father, the mother, the sister, the brother, and the 
baby. Ask several other pupils the same question. When 
they are all thinking about the word brother , tell them that 
you are going to make the chalk print the word. All eyes 


94 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


are on the blackboard. The chalk prints brother. The 
teacher has the children examine the word. How many 
tall letters ? How many short letters ? She prints the word 
on several parts of the blackboard. She asks the children 
what it is. They reply, “ This is the word brother The 
word sister should be taught in the same way. 

Reading Exercise. While the pupils are becoming ac¬ 
quainted with the words brother and sister, the following 
sentences are covered on the blackboard. When the children 
are thoroughly drilled on the new words, they should be 
allowed to read the following sentences: 

I love father. I love mother. I love sister. I love brother. 
God loves father. God loves mother. God loves sister. God 
loves brother. God loves you. God loves baby. 


P.M. 

Hymn. 11 I Love You, Dear Jesus.” 

Picture Study. u Family Cares,” by Barnes. 

Story. “ The Angel and the Shepherds.” 

Game. Have on the board a column of the words most 
recently taught. Teacher names a word and then slides the 
pointer slowly along the list. When the pointer touches the 
given word, the children clap once, repeating the word as they 
do so. 

Tongue Training: Slow Pronunciation . 


r-ose 

l-ove 

d-ay 

n-ow 

r-ed 

1-et 

d-oll 

n-ew 

r-at 

l-ittle 

d-oor 

n-o 

r-ain 

1-ad 

d-o 

n-ot 

r 

1 

d 

n 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — SIXTEENTH DAY 


95 


Ear Training. 


he 

hair 

Harry 

hat 

hands 

Henry 

hall 

had 

Harriet 


Physical Exercise. Face front, face up, face down, face 
front, face right, face front, face left, face front. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Give a handful of colored pegs to each child, 
and have him sort the colors into different piles. 

Music Appreciation. Play on the piano or victrola music 
that children like. Do not have it too classical. Something 
of a light nature is better suited to first-grade children. Be 
sure that it has a good swing. 

Action Song. Teach this jingle : 

See the baby. 

See the baby. 

See the baby dear. 

Sleep, dear baby. 

Sleep, dear baby. 

Sleep and sleep, my dear. 

Oral Language. Conversation about baby is always a 
fruitful source of oral composition. Nearly every pupil will 
want to tell you about his baby sister or baby brother. 
Fail not to give him an opportunity to express his thoughts. 
Bring into the conversation the fact that baby sleeps, and 
that he is a dear baby. Lead the pupils to use these words 
in the conversation. 

Reading Exercise. In order to impress dear and sleep 
on the minds of the pupils, place these words on several parts 
of the blackboard. Have the different pupils point them out. 


96 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Call on other pupils to erase these words. Finally, flash 
the Perception Cards on them. Then they will be ready for 
a reading lesson on the jingle. 

The “ Rocking ” Game. Tell the children about a little 
girl who likes to rock the baby to sleep. Ask them how they 
would like to rock the cradle. Then say, “ Suppose that you 
had a cradle on your desk, show me how you would rock it. 
Did you ever see your mother rock the baby? Do just as 
mother does it.” Recite the “ Sleep ” jingle while doing so. 

Seventeenth Day 

Hymn. Teach the words and music of 

Mother of dear Jesus, 

Virgin ever fair, 

Gentle Queen of heaven, 

Take me to your care. 

Picture Study. “ The Madonna of the Chair.” 

Physical Exercise. When the pupils are in line around the 
room have them do the following : (1) Walk around the room. 
(2) Walk around the room with arms extended forward, 
sideways, and upward. (3) Walk around the room clapping 
hands at every step. 

Informal Phonics. Review the previous sounds and 
teach the sound of h, which can be taken from the word 
horse. When teaching a new sound endeavor to have some¬ 
thing pleasant and agreeable to say about the word from 
which the sound is taken. In this instance, the teacher should 
tell the children a story about a horse that liked to give little 
children a ride on his back. 

Counting Game. Of the sight words most recently taught, 
place in a rectangle of twenty-eight sections seven of one 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — SEVENTEENTH DAY 


97 


word, six of another, and five of another, four of another, 
three of another, two of another, and one of another. Call 
upon the pupils to point out and count how many times each 
word is repeated. Make this game lively. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Tell the pupils that you want each of them 
to build with blocks a house for the birds. 

Story. — “ Tiny Tim.” 

Oral Language. Encourage the children to talk about a 
dear little rabbit that lives in a garden near their homes. 
Have in some prominent place one or two pictures of rabbits. 
Or better still, tell the children the day before to bring 
pictures of rabbits to the classroom. This will prepare them 
for a profitable lesson on the rabbits. 

Teach “ Like ” and 11 Rabbit .” Tell a story about a teacher 
who brought a rabbit into the classroom. Imitate how de¬ 
lighted the children were. Relate how one little boy said to 
the teacher, “ I like the rabbit.” Ask several pupils what the 
boy said. When they have given the answer, “ I like the 
rabbit,” many times, say, “ Children, the chalk is going to 
print what the boy said, ' I like the rabbit.’” Have several 
pupils read the printed sentence. Ask what the first two 
words say. Ask what the last two words say. Ask, “ What 
is the first word? What is the last word? What is the 
second word? Which is the longest word? Which is the 
shortest word ? ” Place the words like and rabbit on different 
parts of the board to promote instantaneous recognition. 
For the same purpose utilize the Perception Cards. 

“ What Do You Like ?” Game. The purpose of this 
exercise is to induce pupils to tell the teacher their likes and 


98 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


dislikes. This is one means of reaching the heart of the 
child. Write the responses on the board and use for impres¬ 
sion of like — a difficult word to teach. 

Drawing. Ask the pupils to trace a rabbit on paper. 

P.M. 

Hymn. — “ Mother of Dear Jesus.” 

Game of “ Find.” Place all the Perception Cards, 
Sentence Cards, and Phrase Cards along the edge of the 
blackboard. Call upon each of the pupils to find certain 
words, phrases, and sentences. For example, ask the first 
pupil to find I, the next to find love, the next dear, and the 
next Jesus. When the child finds the card, have him stand 
in the front of the room facing the class. Ask the pupils to 
place the four cards together to form the sentence, “ I love 
dear Jesus.” When all the pupils see the sentence, call upon 
a pupil to find I love and another to find dear Jesus. Have 
these pupils put their cards together to form “ I love dear 
Jesusi” This game can be made very interesting and instruc¬ 
tive. A great many sentences can be formed, and the child’s 
power of observation can be developed. 

Things to Do. Draw six squares on the board as shown 
in the diagram below. Have pupils copy these. 

• ••••«•• 

• • • • • 

• • •••••• 

Teach “ Find ” and 11 Who.” Introduce these two words 
in the form of a project. Say to the pupils, “ Who can find 
the word rabbit f Who can find the word father f Who can 
find sister ? Who can find brother f Who can find baby f 













PRE-PRIMER WORK — SEVENTEENTH DAY 


99 


Who can find the dog? Who can find the cat?” Then ask 
the pupils, “ What did I ask?” They will reply, “ You 
said, ' Who can find the cat? 1 ” The teacher then says, 
“ Children, did you ever see any of these words before?” 
They will answer, “ We saw the words can and the cat” 
“How many new words in the sentence?” “Two new 
words.” “ What are the two new words? ” “ The two new 

words are who and find. 11 The teacher prints these two words 
in many places on the board, or in many sentences, and asks 
the pupils to point them out. If needed, the Perception 
Cards can be flashed before the pupils. 

Silent Reading. Have the pupils read these sentences 
silently and give the answer orally: (1) Who can run? 
(2) Who can walk ? (3) Who can play ? (4) Who can hop ? 
(5) Who can skip? (6) Who can see? 


Recess 


Seat Work. Give the pupils a cut-out ball or circle. 
With the aid of this cut-out, ask them to draw five or six cir¬ 
cles on their papers. 

Picture Study. “ You’re No Chicken.” 

Informal Phonics. Review r, l, d, n, and h. 

Ear Training. 


bird 

brother 

bring 


ball 

big 

bell 


blue 

boy 

baby 


Things to Do. Ask the children to pick out from the 
sight words all those that begin with s, and all that end 
with s. 

Drill. Teacher holds Word Cards so that only the upper 
half of the word is shown. The pupils name the words. 


100 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Sentence Building. Induce the pupils to give a number 
of short sentences beginning with the word who. 

Eighteenth Day 

Hymn. “ I Love You, Dear Jesus.” 

“ From Word to Sentence ” Game. In this exercise, the 
teacher flashes one of the sight words, calls upon a pupil to 
read it silently, and then to use it in a sentence. Suppose 
the teacher shows the word cat. As soon as the pupil 
recognizes the word, he is expected to say, “ I see a cat,” 
or some other sentence in which cat is used. 

Story. The teacher should tell a story about a little boy 
who was very polite to every one he met. One day as he was 
going to school, he met a Sister. What do you think he 
said ? What do you think he did ? He stopped, raised his 
hat, and said, “ How do you do, Sister? ” Do you do that 
when you meet a Sister on the street? Do you raise your 
cap, and say, “ How do you do, Sister? ” Now, I am going 
to ask every pupil to walk slowly around the room, and when 
you are passing in front of the teacher’s desk, stop a moment, 
and say, “ How do you do, Sister? ” This acting of the story 
appeals very strongly to first-grade children, and teaches 
them the correct thing to do when they meet a Sister on the 
street. 

Teach “ How ” and “ Do.” “ Do you want to have the 
chalk print what the polite boy said? Very well, then, 
watch the chalk. Now that the chalk has done its work, 
who can read the sentence? ” Several are called to read it. 
“ What is the first word ? ” “ How many tall letters has it ? ” 
“ How many short letters? ” “ What is the second word? ” 

“ How often does do appear in the sentence ? ” “ Point them 

out.” “ What are the two new words in the sentence?” 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — EIGHTEENTH DAY 


101 


“ How and do.” “ Do you think that you know these two 
words? ” 

Reading Exercise. Who says, “ How do you do ? ” 
Father says, “ How do you do? ” Mother says, “ How do 
you do? ” Sister says, “ How do you do? ” Brother says, 
“ How do you do ? ” Baby says, “ How do you do ? ” Fred 
says, “ How do you do? ” 

Recess 

Seat Work. Give to each pupil a mimeographed circle 
divided into four sections. Have the word red in one section, 
blue in another, green in another, and orange in another. 
Ask the pupils to fill in each section with the color named. 

Story. “ Titty Mouse and Tatty Mouse.” 

Nature Study. Ask the children to bring a number of 
leaves that are turning brown. Have children compare the 
leaves for appreciation of their gorgeous colors. 

Counting Game. Draw a large square on the black¬ 
board. Fill it in with six red, five blue, three white and two 
green squares. Call upon the different pupils to tell how 
many squares of each color. When a pupil answers, “ Six 
red squares/’ have him point out and count each red square. 
Have every pupil go through the same process. This will 
tend to prevent guessing, and will help to make the pupils 
more accurate. 

Informal Phonics. Find out whether the pupils ever 
saw a bird’s nest. Ask them to tell you how it is made, who 
makes it, for what it is made, where you will find it. Have 
them tell you about the eggs and the little birds that come 
from the eggs. Bring out the fact that the father and the 
mother birds take care of the young birds. Draw aside the 
curtain on the blackboard, and show them the picture of a 


102 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


bluebird. Ask them what it is. Place the printed symbol 
underneath the picture, and then develop the sound of b as 
in previous lessons. 

Things to Do. Have the children form 1,2,3, i, 5, 6, 7, 
8,9, and show them how to make 10. 

P.M. 

Hymn. 11 Mother of Dear Jesus. ” 

Drawing. From the outline of a fish have the children 
trace several fish on paper. 

The 11 Fish Pond ” Game. Draw a fish pond on the black¬ 
board. Put in the pond any words that need special drill. 
Tell the children that the words are like fish, and that they 
must try to catch the fish by pointing to the word as the 
teacher calls it. 

Informal Phonics. Review at, short a, h, b, r, m. 

Ear Training. 


good 

gold 

dog 

again 

gate 

gun 

Pig 

flags 

got 

gave 

flag 



Story. “ Cinderella.” 

Recess 

Seat Work. Build the following sentences: How do you 
do? How do you do, do, do? 

“ Find the Number ” Game. The teacher places ten easy 
sentences on the board and numbers them from 1 to 10. She 
then reads one of the sentences and calls upon a pupil to 
tell the number of the sentence. Sometimes she has a child 
read the sentence and another child tell the number of the 
sentence. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK —NINETEENTH DAY 


103 


Teach “Well” and “ Thank.” You all remember what the 
polite little boy said to the Sister that he met on the street. 
He said, “ How do you do, Sister? ” What do you think the 
Sister said to the boy? She said, “ I am well, thank you.” 
Watch the chalk print that sentence. How many words in 
the sentence? What are the new words? “ The new words 
are well and thank” The teacher by various exercises 
impresses these two words on the minds of the pupils. 

Phrase Drill. Induce the pupils to tell you when it is 
proper to say, “ How do you do? ” and “ I am well, thank 
you.” 

“ Basket ” Game. Draw a basket on the blackboard. 
Fill the basket with these phrases : Good morning. How do 
you do t I am well. Mother is well. Baby is well. Father 
is well. The child that can read all these is able to carry the 
basket. If the teacher prefers, single words may be used. 

Nineteenth Day 

Hymn. “ Mother of Dear Jesus.” 

Paper-cutting. Let the pupils trace a house on paper and 
have them cut it out of the paper. 

Action Song. “ All for Baby.” 

Informal Phonics. Teach the sound of g. Do not say 
for the present that the letter g has two sounds. This 
would confuse the minds of the children. Fix one sound at 
a time. Call upon the pupils to give words with the g 
sound. The teacher should write them on the board like 
this: g-ate, g-old, g-un, g-ot, g-oat. 

“ Two-Sided Find ” Game. Place all the words that have 
been taught on the edge of the blackboard. Divide the 
pupils into two sections. Have a captain in charge of each 
section. Call upon pupil after pupil to find certain words. 


104 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


The section that has less failures wins the game. When a 
child finds a word, he keeps the card. The game is finished 
when all the Perception Cards are in the possession of the 
pupils. 

Story. “ The Little Lamb and the Little Fish.” 

Recess 

Seat Work. From manila cut-outs, trace the outline of 
a doll. 

Oral Language. Tell a short story about a little girl who 
went to visit her grandmother in the country. Tell about 
all the good things that grandmother gave the little girl 
and the different places to which she took her. When the 
end of the vacation came, tell how the little girl wanted to 
remain in the country with her grandmother. Nevertheless, 
she had to return to her home in the city to get ready for 
school. Emphasize the fact that when the little girl was 
taking leave of her grandmother, she said, “ Good-bye, 
grandmother dear.” 

Teach “ Good-bye ” and “ Grandmother .” The teacher will 
ask the pupils, “ What did the little girl say to her grand¬ 
mother when she was leaving the country?” “ She said, 
‘Good-bye, grandmother dear.’ ” When this phrase is firmly 
fixed in the consciousness of the pupils, the teacher will say, 
“ Watch the chalk print 1 Good-bye , grandmother dear.’ Let 
me see who can read what the chalk printed. You may try 
it, Fred. You can say it, I am sure, Anna. Now, who else 
wants to say it?” Then take the words Good-bye and grand¬ 
mother , and strive to have the pupils recognize them instantly. 

Reading Exercise. Ask the pupils when it is correct to 
say Good morning , Good-bye , and How do you do? Then 
have them read a number of sentences using these phrases. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — NINETEENTH DAY 


105 


“ Silent Reading ” Game. Have a dozen or more action 
sentences, such as “ Run around the room/’ on manila paper 
(5X2). Distribute these among the pupils, turning the 
printed side down. When the pupil is called by the teacher, 
he turns the card, reads silently what it says, and then does 
what it says. This game should be continued until each 
pupil in the class has had an opportunity to take part in it. 

P.M. 

Patriotic Song. “ I Love the Flag.” 

Picture Study. “ Prince Balthazar,” by Velasquez. 

Jingle. Sing and play the jingle, “ This is the Way.” 
To give variety and interest to the exercise change the word 
play to run , hop , skip , walk , march, and love. 

Informal Phonics. Review g, h, n,f, c, t. 

Ear Training. 

saw sister hands 

so say flags 

see sing rooms 

Story. 11 Which loved Mother Best ? ” 

Phrase Drill. Take the Phrase Cards and flash them 
before the pupils. They should be able to tell them instantly, 
and they should repeat the phrase in a natural way. 

Recess 

Seat Work. From Word Cards, form the following sen¬ 
tences : “ How do you do ? Iam well, thank you.” 

Oral Language. Ask the pupils to tell you about the 
things they saw and heard during the past day. The purpose 
of this exercise is to train the children to be observant, as 
well as to give them an opportunity to express their thoughts. 


106 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Teach “ Clap ” and “ Hands.” Tell a story about a 
number of little children who went one afternoon to a picture 
show. After relating some of the many funny things they 
saw, lead up to the story of a boy on a pony’s back. Tell 
how the pony ran away and tried to throw the little boy, 
but that the little boy clung to the saddle and would not fall 
off. When the end of the picture came, every one in the hall 
clapped his hands. Then ask, “ Why did the children clap 
their hands? Did they want to show that they were glad 
that the boy did not fall ? Why did they clap their hands ? ” 
After this, ask the pupils, “ Can you clap hands? They are 
all willing. They even think it is great fun. Thereupon 
the teacher gives the command, “ Clap hands.” When the 
children have done so to their hearts’ content, tell them that 
you are going to make the chalk print what they are doing. 
When the sentence is printed, call upon the pupils to read it, 
and develop the words clap and hands. 

Reading Exercise. 1. Clap hands, children. 2. Clap hands, 
Fred. 3. Clap hands, Anna. 4. Clap hands, baby. 5. Clap 
hands, father. 6. Clap hands, mother. 7. Clap hands, sister. 
8. Clap hands, brother. 9. Clap, clap, clap. 

Twentieth Day 

Hymn. “1 Love You, Dear Jesus.” 

Story. “ Three Pigs.” 

Picture Study. “ Which do You Like?” by Holmes. 

The u Rhyming ” Game. The teacher places on the black¬ 
board a word like cat or can. She tells the children to think 
of all the other words that rhyme with cat or can. The 
pupils are to come one by one to the teacher’s desk and 
whisper the words to her. When all have tried, the pupil 
that gives the largest number of rhymes wins the game. 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — TWENTIETH DAY 


107 


Informal Phonics. Teach the sound of s. Tell the pupils 
that the sound of s is sometimes put at the end of a word 
as well as at the beginning, as, for example, in 

cat dog doll hat rat mat 

cats dogs dolls hats rats mats 

Music Appreciation. If there are some good singers 
among the older pupils of the school, the first-grade teacher 
might ask them to give a short concert to her class. If 
there are no singers, she will surely find a number of pupils 
who can play the piano. In this work, the teacher must see 
to it that the music, whether it is instrumental or vocal, 
appeals strongly to her children. 

Recess 

Seat Work. Ask the pupils to cut out a mimeographed 
picture of a bird and a picture of a tree. 

“ Color Work ” Game. Divide the class into five sections. 
Give one section a piece of red paper, another white, another 
green, another blue, and the last section orange. On the 
blackboard have the five words: white, blue, red, green, and 
orange. When the teacher points to the word orange, all 4 
the children who have orange paper will stand. When she 
withdraws the pointer they will take their seats. The 
teacher points to another word, and the pupils having 
that color stand. Thus the work is continued until each 
child has stood two or three times. 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to talk about a bird on a 
tree. Have a number of bird pictures in a prominent place 
in the classroom. These pictures will naturally suggest the 
conversation. If necessary, the teacher will ask an occa- 


108 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


sional question, such as, “ Where is the bird? What is he 
doing? Is he happy? Is he singing? ” 

Teach “ Bird ” and “ On the tree.” Place on the blackboard 
the picture of a number of children looking at a bird on the 
outside branch of a tree. Call upon the different pupils to 
tell what the picture represents. Develop in the usual way 
the words bird and on the tree. 

Memory Gem. Recite the different Memory Gems thus 
far studied. 

Oral Language. Have the pupils tell you when a person 
says, “ Thank you.” 

“ Counting ” Game. Place a definite number of objects 
on the blackboard and call on the pupils to count them. 
Begin with small numbers and lead up to ten. 

P.M. 

Patriotic Song. Sing “ There Are Many Flags.” 

“ Circle ” Game. Draw a large circle on the blackboard. 
Place all the sight words on the outside of the circle. Divide 
the class into sections. The section in which the greater 
number of pupils can read all the words wins the game. 

Informal Phonics. After reviewing the sounds of c, a , t, 
f, m, r, l, d, n, h, b, g, and s, ask the pupils to give as many 
words as they can that begin with these letters. At first 
they may not be able to do very much, but after a little prac¬ 
tice they will surprise you. 

Ear Training. 

year. yet you 

years yes your 

Things to Do. Lead the pupils to imitate the actions of 
different domestic animals that they know. Begin with 


PRE-PRIMER WORK — TWENTIETH DAY 


109 


something easy, such as a dog or a cat. This exercise may 
be a source of unbounded pleasure to the class. At the same 
time, it tends to bring out certain peculiarities of the different 
animals. 

Story. “ Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus.” 

Picture Study. 11 A Proud Mother.” 

Recess 

Seat Work. From the sight words, pick out all the words 
that begin with c, d, g, h , and k, and place them in five piles. 

Dramatization. Review the morning exercises about the 
bird on the tree. Allow the picture to remain on the black¬ 
board. Ask the pupils to talk about the bird and the tree. 
Then say to the children, “ Do you know what a little child 
once said? He was looking at a picture just like this one. 
Suddenly he shouted: 

How do you do, little bird! 

How do you do! 

I love God, little bird, 

And I love you. 

“ Now say it after me once or twice. Let me see who can 
say it all alone. Very well, Fred. You may say it just as 
the little boy did.” 

Teach “ little.” Ask the pupils to point out the new 
words in these lines. When they have been thoroughly 
visualized by the pupils, have a reading lesson. 

Drawing. Have the pupils trace the outline of a bird 
from a cardboard design. 

Paper-cutting. On the day previous to this exercise, 
ask the children to bring pictures of birds from old papers or 
magazines. Give one to each pupil and tell him that you 
want him to cut the picture of the bird out of the paper. 


V 


PRIMER WORK OUTLINED 

Suggestive Points for the Teaching of a 
Reading Lesson 

Tell a short story to arouse the interest of the pupils in the 
lesson. 

Have the pupils interpret the illustration to help them get 
the thought of the lesson. 

Teach the new words so that the pupils will not only recog¬ 
nize them but will be able to use them in conversation and in 
sentence building. 

Develop the lesson on the blackboard. 

Read the lesson from the primer. 

When it is possible, have the pupils play the lesson. 

If there is a problem or a project connected with the lesson, 
put the pupils to work on it. 

Testing for thought enables the teacher to learn whether 
or not the pupils have grasped the thought of the lesson. 

Correlation serves to make the lesson more interesting to 
the children. 

Bring out the character formation and religious features of 
the lesson. 

Seat Work should serve to supplement, clarify, and clinch 
words, phrases or phonetic principles developed during the 
reading lesson. 

Teach the phonic elements from the lesson. 

no 


PRIMER —PAGE 1 


111 


Page 1 

Conversational Background. We are all so busy in the 
morning that we cannot all take time to say “ Good morning 77 
to one another, so we shall all sing u Good Morning. 77 The 
teacher sings the song, pointing to the words on the black¬ 
board as she does so. 

Picture Study. It will help the pupils to read the lesson 
intelligently and with expression, if the teacher gives them 
an opportunity to tell about the salient features of the illustra¬ 
tion. If the children overlook any important consideration, 
the teacher should question them about it. The thought of 
the picture is generally the same as that of the reading lesson. 
One supplements the other. 

New Words. Good, morning, to, you, dear, children. 
Place the jingle on the board. Base drill in recognition of 
words directly upon study of written jingle. 

Caution. Before putting the Primer in the hands of the 
pupils, the teacher should show them how to hold it, and 
how to turn the pages. Each pupil should be provided with a 
liner that will allow him to see only one line at a time. Do 
not permit the children to point to the words while they are 
reading silently or orally. Insist that each child read the 
sentence or lesson silently before giving it orally. 

Blackboard Work. For the first few weeks it is most 
desirable to develop each lesson on the blackboard before 
having the children read it from their books. It helps the 
children to go from the printing of the teacher to the printing 
of the book, and it gives the teacher an opportunity to 
develop the words, the phrases, and the sentences of the lesson. 

Dramatization. When the pupils know the lesson, have 
them play it in the classroom. Let one of the largest pupils 
be the teacher, and the others be the pupils. 


112 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Oral Language. The chief purpose of this exercise is to 
connect the lesson with the experience of the pupils. Give 
them an opportunity to tell you when “ Good morning to 
you ” is used in everyday life. Lead them to make other 
sentences about the lesson. These sentences may be made 
into charts for future review. 

Seat Work. Have the children build “ Good morning to 
you, dear children.” 

Informal Phonics. Teach y, i (short), ch, ing. Review 
d. After a brief review of the sounds taught, teach the 
sound of y. 




you 


year 



you 


y ear 



y 


y 

Morning 

children 

is 

this 

ing 

ch ildren 

i s 

th i s 

i 

i 


i 

i 


children 


march 

morning 


ch ildren 


mar ch 

morn ing 


ch 


ch 

ing 


dear 

around 

children 


do 


good 

grandmother 


drum 


bird 

good-by 


day 


find 

d 


dog 


and 



draw 


d 



doll 





d 





little 
1 i ttle 


Separating Words; Words in Words. The slow pronun¬ 
ciation during the pre-primer period has prepared the pupils 
to separate words either into other words or into their pho¬ 
netic elements. It has been found through experience that 


PRIMER —PAGE 2 


113 


this practice proves a help in independent word recognition. 
The child after being trained thus for some time develops 
a habit of looking for that which is familiar to him in newly 
presented words. The pupil feels secure in his first attack. 
Besides the power gained through this security, the pupil is 
continually reviewing and strengthening his vocabulary and 
also his stock of phonic elements. The practice lays the 
foundation for the Word Games which follow later in the 
course. 


to 

morning 

dear 

t 0 

m or ning 

d ear 

0 

or 

ear 

Things to Do. 

Count the words in 

the lesson. 


Page 2 

Conversational Background. One day I met a little boy 
who was gathering flowers. I asked him for whom he was 
picking the flowers. He said, “ They are for my mother, 
but I shall share them with you, Sister/’ I was so impressed 
with his kindness, that I asked him his name. This was his 
name (Joseph), printing word on blackboard and inquiring or 
telling the name. 

Picture Study. The action of the pupil and the teacher 
should be called to the attention of the children by a few well- 
directed questions. These are the acts of kindness that make 
a deep impression on the minds of the young. 

New Words. Review the Finger Family. From this 
jingle teach the word Sister. Call attention to the capital and 
small letter s. 

Blackboard Work. Place the first lesson and the second 
lesson on the blackboard, and ask the children to tell you 


114 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


wherein they differ. This will be a means of bringing the 
word Sister to their attention. 

Reading. For a few days give the pupils instruction 
regarding the use of the Primer. Be sure that they know 
how to hold the book and that they know how to stand while 
they are reading. Let every pupil read the entire lesson. 

Oral Language. Prevail on the pupils to tell you all they 
know about a Sister. Have them say how she is dressed, 
where she lives, and what she does. This will be a fruitful 
source of thought for the children. 

Seat Work. Build the sentence, “ Good morning, dear 
Sister.” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day and s. 


Sister 

this 

sleep 

is 

skip 

hands 

see 

loves 

says 

s 


s 

Separating words : words in words. 

Sister 
S is ter 
is 

Things to Do. Induce the pupils to bring flowers to the 
classroom so that they may tell you about them. 

Page 3 

Conversational Background. The other day I saw a 
number of children playing in a field. They were having great 
fun. They sang one jingle that I never heard before. 


PRIMER —PAGE 3 


115 


Perhaps some of you have heard it. If so, please tell me. 
This is the song they sang: 

How do you do, do, do? 

How do you do, do, do? 

How do you do ? 

How do you do ? 

Plow do you do? 

“ Perhaps you can sing the same song. Let us try to do so.” 

Picture Study. This illustration should help to place be¬ 
fore the children the idea of kindness and politeness. It 
will help them to understand why people shake hands when 
they meet and when they are about to leave. 

New Words. How, do. Teach from the sentence, 
“ How do you do?” Then call upon the pupils to use these 
words in other sentences, and have the sentences placed on a 
chart for review. 

Reading. This selection is to be read by two pupils. 
The first boy or girl takes the first two lines, and the second 
boy or girl takes the second two lines. 

Seat Work. Build “ How do you do, Sister ? ” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day and h. 


how 

hands 

hop 

Ear Training. 

Jack jump jolly 

Jill jumped joy 

jay jumping jail 

j i i 


Things to Do. Ask the pupils to count the words of the 
jingle and to find out how often each word is used. 


116 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Separating words : words in words. 

little 
1 it tie 
it 

Page 4 

Conversational Background. Once upon a time a number of 
children were playing tag near a fire house. “ Look ! look ! ” 
said one of the children. “ See who is coming up the street.” 

It was a dear old lady that every child in the town loved. 
The children stopped their game and ran to meet her. What 
do you think she said to them? Did she say, “ Good morn¬ 
ing to you,” or “ How do you do, children? ” No ; she did 
not say either of these. This is what she said : 

“Dear little children, 

Sweet little children, 

How do you do? 

Dear little children, 

Sweet little children, 

I love you.” 

Picture Study. Give the pupils an opportunity to tell 
you about the different characters in the illustration. Lead 
them to understand that the old lady is doing the talking. 

New Word. Little , sweet, I, love. Teach little and sweet 
by contrast. Talk about a little boy and a big boy, a 
sweet apple and a sour apple. Introduce I love in sentences 
like “ I love father. I love mother.” 

Blackboard Work. Have the entire lesson on the board. 
Ask the pupils to point to the words that they do not know. 
Drill especially on these. 

Reading. Before placing the Primer in the hands of the 


PRIMER —PAGE 5 


117 


pupils, make sure that they know all the sight words taught 
thus far, and that they know how to hold the book. Each 
child should read the entire lesson. 

Dramatization. The acting of this lesson by some of the 
pupils is a source of pleasure and entertainment. Have one 
of the largest and brightest pupils be the old lady, and a 
dozen or more pupils be the children. Call for volunteers to 
walk and talk like the old lady. 

Oral Language. This lesson gives the children an oppor¬ 
tunity to talk about their grandmothers or other old ladies 
that they know. 

Seat Work. Give each pupil the words of the lesson cut 
into lines. Have them put the lesson together. 

Phonics. Teach the sound of j a (short). 

Review the work of previous day, and l. 


apple 

little^ 

play 

well 

Alice 

like 

sleep 

ball 

Anna 

love 

glad 

doll 

a 

1 

children 

1 


‘I 

Ear Training. 

wall wing Jack Jill jump 

well went J ack J ill j ump 

window weather J J j 

Page 5 

Conversational Background. After a long day spent at 
the beach, little Fred kissed his father and mother good night 
and went on his knees to say his prayers. He could not 
remember the words of the prayer that his mother had taught 
him, so he made up a prayer of his own. This is what he 
said: 


118 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


“Dear little Jesus, 

Sweet little Jesus, 

How do You do? 

Dear little Jesus, 

Sweet little Jesus, 

I love You.” 

Picture Study. Lead the pupils to tell what the artist 
wanted us to learn from the picture. The chief purpose of 
this is to make the children think. 

New Word. Jesus. Key sentence, “I love Jesus.” Have 
the pupils give you the sentences with one or more of these 
words. Remember that impression is deepened by expression. 

Dramatization. After the pupils have read this lesson, 
call on several of them to act it. 

Religious and Ethical Features. Why does Jesus love you 
so? This question will arouse the interest of the children. 
If they do not know the answer, it will make them want to 
know it. Those who have had religious training at home 
will by their answers teach those not so blessed, the beautiful 
lesson of God’s love for us. Often the results of lessons 
taught by little companions are more effective than those 
pointed out by the teacher. 

Seat Work. Build “ How do You do, dear Jesus?” “ I 
love You, dear Jesus.” 

Phonics. Teach w. Review the work of previous day. 


well 

walk 

wow 

Jack 

w ell 

w alk 

w ow 

Jill 

w 

w 

w 

jump 


Jesus 

J 


Things to Do. Ask the pupils to bring to the classroom 
all the pictures of the Infant Jesus that they can find. In 


PRIMER — PAGE 6 


119 


connection with this lesson have children sing the beautiful 
hymn, “I Love You, dear Jesus.” 

Chart. We suggest that the teacher keep a chart on 
which religious thoughts drawn from the lesson are recorded. 
These thoughts, gleaned from lessons here and there through¬ 
out the book, will impress on the mind of the child the chief 
religious duties suited to his age. The thoughts recorded need 
be but a few words, preferably suggested by the pupils them¬ 
selves. Throughout the manual we have given sentences for 
the chart. These need not be used. They are recorded 
principally to remind the teacher that the lesson adapts itself 
for such a purpose. “ I love You, dear Jesus.” 

Page 6 

Conversational Background. One morning in September, 
the bright sun coming in the window woke a little girl from 
sleep. Thinking it was after eight o’clock, the little girl 
jumped from her warm bed and dressed quickly. Before 
going downstairs for breakfast, she said her morning prayers. 
Kneeling before a little altar in her bedroom, she prayed to 
the Infant Savior. These are the words she said : 

“Good morning, dear Jesus, 

Good morning, sweet Jesus, 

How do You do to-day? 

I love You, dear Jesus. 

I want You to love me.” 

Picture Study. Lead the pupils to interpret this illustra¬ 
tion. Have them tell you what the little girl is doing and to 
whom she is speaking. Make it clear to them that praying 
is talking to God. 

New Words. Want, to-day, me. In order to fix the 
recognition of the word want, give the children an opportu- 


120 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


nity of telling things they want or want to be; e.g. 11 1 
want to read. I want to ride my bicycle/ 7 etc. 

Reading. Help the children to read these lines as if 
they were actually speaking to Jesus. Insist on silent 
reading before giving it orally. 

Thought Question. Give this problem to the children, 
“ For what is the child praying? 77 and ask them to solve it. 
This will help you to find out whether or not the pupils have 
grasped the thought of the lesson. 

Oral Language. Let children describe the altars they 
have at home. 

Seat Work. Build “ I love You, dear Jesus. I want 
You to love me. 77 

Phonics. Review the work of previous day, and m and t. 


walk 

morning 

grandmother 

to 

want 

mother 

drum 

to-day 

w 

march 

American 

t 


meow 

am 



my 

me 



m 

m 


Separating words : words in words. 



to-day 

to 

day 


Things to Do. Take the children to visit the parish church 
and have them show you where Jesus lives. 

Page 7 

Conversational Background. Last year the children of 
our parish had a picnic. It was held away out in the country 
near a lake. There were all sorts of funny people to make 
the children laugh. In the afternoon the children played 


PRIMER — PAGE 7 


121 


many games. The larger boys and girls played baseball and 
the smaller ones had running races. The races were held 
in a very large room. While the boys ran around the room, 
the other children sang this jingle: 

“Run around the room, boys, 

Run around the room. 

Run around, 

Run around, 

Run around the room.” 

Picture Study . Let the pupils explain what the boys are 
doing. Do they like to do it? Are they happy? Would 
you like to run a race ? Where did the race take place ? etc. 

New Words. Run, around, the room, boys. When the 
pupils know these words, ask them to use them in sentences. 

Reading. After the children have read and acted this 
jingle, teach them to sing it. Then when one pupil is acting 
the jingle, have the others sing it. The music will be found 
at the end of the Manual. 

Project or Problem. Take the children to the playground 
for running matches. 

Seat Work. Have the children draw freehand pictures 
of boys and girls running. 

Phonics. Teach u (short), and un. 

Review the work of previous day, and b, r. 


run 

drum 

run 

un 

un 

um 

un 

bun 

u 

u 

u 

fun 

gun 

nun 

pun 

run 

sun 


122 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


bird 

blue 

rabbit 

brother 

ball 

baby 

baby 

big 

b~ 

bow-wow 

boys 


b 

b 


run 

around 

dear 

rabbit 

morning 

year 

red 

bird 

father 

r 

tree 

mother 


r 

r 

Separating words: 

words in words. 


around 

room 

oom 

a round 

r oom 

boom 

round 

oom 

doom 

loom 


Things to Do. Tell how often each word is used in the 
lesson. 

Pages 8-12 

The lessons on the pages 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 are presented in 
practically the same manner as the lesson of page 7. The 
action word, however, in each case is different. This, with 
the other new words, has to be thoroughly developed. Skip 
and girls are introduced on page 8. Hop and floor on page 
9. Dance, in, and, out are the new words on page 10. March 
and hall on page 11. Walk is taught on page 12. Each 
of these lessons provides interesting exercises for the pupil. 
Under the guise of singing and playing, repetitive drill 
on the new sight words is given. These exercises are intended 
to bring out the joyous and pleasurable side of school life. 

Page 8. Teach ir. Review the work of previous day, and 
V, Q • 


PRIMER —PAGES 8-12 


123 


bird 

girls 

good 

flag 

skip 

b ir d 

g ir Is 

grandmother 

dog 

sk i p 

ir 

ir 

green 

big 

sk 



g 

g 


Page 9. 

Teach o 

(short). 



Review the work of previous day, and/. 



find 

hop 

orange of 

dog 

doll 

father 

hop 

o range o f 

dog 

oil 

Fred 

0 

o o 

0 

0 


Separating words. 


hop 

op 

h op 

mop 

op 

top 

Page 10. Teach in, and. 


Review the work of previous day, and 

in 

and 

bin 

band 

fin 

land 

pin 

sand 

tin 


sin 


win 


in 



Separating words: 

words in words. 


and 

an 

dance 

an d 

Dan 

and 

an 

fan 

around 


man 

good 


ran 

dear 


can 

d 


Page 11 . Teach alL 


124 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


day, and ch. 
all 
ball 
call 
fall 
hall 
tall 
wall 

Separating words : words in words. 


march 

hall 

m arch 

hall 

arch 

all 


Page 12. Review the work of previous day, and w, pages 
4 and 5. 

Separating words : words in words. 

walk alk 

w alk talk 

alk chalk 

Page 13 

Number Work. Find out how many pupils can read 
to twelve. Recall the Mother Goose rhyme, “ One, two, 
tie my shoe.” This preparation is needed for the coming 
exercise. 

Silent Reading. Among the purposeful activities con¬ 
nected with the teaching of primary reading, there is none 
more important than the teaching of silent reading, or, better 
still, thought reading. This lesson, “ Things to Do,” is 
placed near the beginning of the Primer to help the teacher 
to realize that silent reading must go hand in hand with 
oral reading. Some teachers put each of the sentences 


Review the work of previous 
hall 
hall 
all 


PRIMER —PAGE 14 


125 


of this lesson on cardboard. They hold the cardboard 
up before the pupils and call on one of them to do what 
it says. When the children can do this exercise readily, 
they place the Primers in the hands of the children, ask all to 
read silently the first sentence, and then call on one pupil to 
do what it says. Bear in mind that all this is a thought¬ 
testing exercise. 

Phonics. Review the work of previous day, and s, page 2. 

sweetr boys 

girls 

Page 14 

Conversational Background. Once upon a time there 
lived a dear little boy who was liked by every one. At 
Christmas time, he received ever so many presents. Santa 
Claus brought him everything that he desired. Now, which 
of the presents did he like best ? See if you can guess. That 
is right. The present that he liked best was a drum. One 
day the little boy said to his mother, “ May I play my drum 
on the street? ” “ Yes, dear,” said the mother, “ since this 

is Columbus Day, you may take out your drum.” As soon 
as the other children saw him they said: 

“See him come, 

See him come, 

See him come, come, come! 

See him drum, 

See him drum, 

See him drum, drum, drum ! ” 

Picture Study. Help the pupils see the important fea¬ 
tures of this illustration. 

New Words. See , him, come, drum. When the pupils 


126 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


know this jingle, they will find little or no difficulty in point¬ 
ing out each of the words. 

Reading. Aid the pupils in bringing out the imitative 
action in this jingle. Have each pupil read the entire lesson. 

Dramatization. Let one of the brightest boys be the 
drummer, and a dozen pupils be the audience. When the 
drummer begins to play, the audience should say, “ See him 
come,” etc. Have the boy wear a soldier’s hat. 

Project or Problem. Have the pupils regard their desks 
as drums. Play a lively air on the piano or the victrola, 
and let the children mark time by drumming with their hands 
on their desks. This will help to habituate them to the beat 
of the drum which is brought out in this lesson. 

Oral Language. Have children tell you about gifts they 
received. During the oral language lesson, train the speaker 
to interest the class and train the class to listen attentively 
to what is said. 

Seat Work. Have children make a soldier’s hat from 
paper. 

Phonics. Review work of previous day, and short i, h, 
and y ; (i (short) and y, page 1). 

Separating words : words in words. 

see 
s ee 
ee 

Word Game: See 

sweet 
s w ee t 
s ee 
see 

Things to Do. Let the children find out how often each 
word in the jingle is used. 


PRIMER —PAGE 15 


127 


P AGE 15 

Picture Study. This illustration shows that girls can 
drum as well as boys. In the first grade the likes and dis¬ 
likes of the boys and girls are practically the same. As they 
advance in the grades, the different tendencies of the children 
become more marked. 

New Word. Can. 

Reading. This lesson should be read as a unit. The 
child makes a statement in the first three lines. In the second 
three lines she asks a question. In the last three lines she 
proves what she says in the first three. 

Dramatization. One girl beats the drum, the others 
carry flags, and the boys wear the hats that were made the 
day before. All march around the room, singing. 

Thought Question. The teacher asks a question and one 
of the pupils answers it. The teacher says, “ Can you run ? 77 
The pupil replies, “ I can run/ 7 etc. 

Phonics. Teach an. 

Review the work of the previous day, and a (short) and c ; 
(a short, page 4). 


can 

American 

Anna 

c an 

Americ an 

An na 

an 

an 

An 


cat c 



country all 



can call 

come 

Ear Training. 


pay 

penny 

top 

papa 

pen 

sleep 

pray 

point 

clap 

park 

paper 

skip 


128 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Silent Reading. With the aid of the words can, you, I, 
me, and the action verbs taught, a number of sentences 
suitable for silent reading can be formulated. 

Page 16 

Silent Reading. In this exercise the teacher must insist 
that the answer to the question be given in a complete sen¬ 
tence. The chief object of this lesson is to aid in developing 
the sentence-sense of the pupils. This is most important. 

Phonics. Teach p. Review the work of the previous 
day, and ing and l ; {ing, page 1; l, page 4). 

play sleep skip hop 

p lay slee p ski p ho p 

P P P P 

girls 
hall 
walk 
plate 
1 

Page 17 

Conversational Background. Joseph and a little girl who 
lives next door are great chums. They are about the same 
age and the same size. They play together every afternoon, 
and they go to school together every morning. Joseph 
thinks there is nobody in the world like this little girl, and 
the little girl thinks Joseph is the best boy that ever lived. 
One afternoon Joseph had to remain in the house. When 
he did not come out to play the little girl shouted to him, 
“ Come out, Joseph. Come out to play,” etc. 

New Words. We, play, Joseph. In presenting the word 
we to the pupils, make it clear to them that we stands for 


PRIMER —PAGE 17 


129 


more than one. Have the children form many sentences in 
which this word is used. The proper name Joseph and the 
action word play will be readily mastered by the children. 
In this lesson call the attention to the capital J in Joseph. 
Teach that all names of persons must begin with a capital 
letter. 

Dramatization. Place Joseph in a closet outside the door, 
and let the little girl coax him out to play. In an exercise 
of this kind it is not necessary to use the identical words of 
the text. 

Religious and Ethical Features. Play with good com¬ 
panions. 

Oral Language. Call on the pupils to tell you about the 
games they play at home and at school. 

Seat Work. Print on the blackboard all action words 
thus far taught and have children find these words and place 
them on desks. 

Phonics. Teach e (short), and ay. 

Review the work of the previous day, and p, b, and j ; 
(p, pages 15 and 16; 6, page 7; j, pages 3 and 4). 


Joseph 

well 

Fred 

red 

Jos e ph 

w e 11 

Fr e d 

red 

e 

e 

e 

e 


play 

ay 



play 

bay 



ay 

day 




hay 




may 




lay 




ray 




say 




way 



130 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Separating words: words in words. 

play 

play 

lay 

Page 18 

Conversational Background. When I was a little girl in 
the first grade, I had a very kind teacher. I think she was 
the kindest teacher I ever had. She was just as good to me 
as my mother. She did ever so many things to please and 
interest me. The first day at school she took me to the play¬ 
ground. As I was watching the other children play she said 
to me: 

“This is the way 
the children play, 
the children play, 
the children play. 

This is the way 
the children play; 

This is the children’s way.” 

New Words. Way, this, is, children’s. First teach the 
clause : This is the way. From this get the individual words. 
Lead the pupils to use this clause in a number of sentences, 
such as, “ This is the way the children run,” etc. 

Reading. The entire lesson should be read by each pupil. 
Then call on them to sing and act the jingle. 

Oral Language. Induce the pupils to form other jingles 
like the above, retaining, “ This is the way.” Put these in a 
booklet or on a chart for review. 

Seat Work. Cut the jingle into lines. Give a complete set 
to each pupil, and ask him to make the jingle on his desk. 

Phonics. Teach th. 


PRIMER —PAGES 19-22 


131 


Review the work of the previous day, and ch, i (short), 
ty and w; {ch, page 1; i (short), page 1; t, page 6; w, page 5). 


this 

the 

thank 

mother 

father brother 

th is 

th e 

th ank 

mo th er 

fa th er bro th er 

th 

th 

th 

th 

th th 

little 

skip 

in 

him 

this Sister is 

1 ittle 

sk i p 

i n 

h im 

th is Si ster i s 

i 

i 

i 

i 

i i i 


Separating words : words in words. 

way 
w ay 
ay 

Things to Do. Have the children find out the word that 
rhymes with play. Then ask them to give other words that 
have the same sound. 

Pages 19-22 

Develop the lessons on these pages like that on page 18. 
Introduce the new words in a happy and playful manner. 
Take the clauses and phrases first. From these get the new 
words: go, school, at, an, early, hour; church, every, Sunday, 
on; say, our, prayers, night. 

Page 19. 

Phonics. Teach at. 

Review work of previous day, and an, a (short), and e; 
{a (short), pages 4, 10, 15; g, page 8; an, page 15). 


at 

cat 

at 

pat 

at 


c at 

bat 

rat 

ch 


at 

fat 

sat 

chat 



mat 

hat 



132 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Separating words : words in words. 

hour 
h our 
our 

Word Games. The pupils have been well prepared 
through Slow Pronunciation and later by Separating Words 
and Finding Words in Words to profit by the presentation 
of Word Games. The processes mentioned above present 
the second step of the analytic-synthetic method of teaching 
phonics, namely analyzing words into their sound elements. 

The children are now prepared to take up the third and 
fourth steps which are involved in the Word Games. The 
third step, recombining the sound elements into their origi¬ 
nal wholes may be omitted where the children are quick 
enough to see this step without indicating it. With a 
rather backward class or with foreign speaking children, it 
might be well to give this step greater emphasis. The 
fourth step selects from the phonic elements such as are 
needed to form different wholes. For example: Analyzing 
see and day, sight words with which the children are fa¬ 
miliar, into their sound elements we have s ee and d ay. Of 
these we are going to use s and ay to produce a new whole, 
namely say. 

Word Games : Say, at. 

see day am to 

s ee d ay am to 

s ay at 

say at 

Page 20. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and all, 
in, and y; {all, page 11; in, page 10; y, page 1). 


PRIMER —PAGES 19-22 


133 


Page 21. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and th; 
ay, and o (short); (ch, page 1; ay, page 17 ; o (short), 
page 9). 

Separating words: words in words. 

Sunday 

Sun 

day 

Word Game: Sunday 


says 

run 

day 

s ays 

r un 

day 

s 

un 

day 


Sunday 



Page 22. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and un, 
n, and p (un, page 7 ; p, pages 15 and 16). 


run 

orange 

green 

country 

can 

grandmother 

American 

morning 

in 

night 

an 

n 

n 



Separating words : words in words. 


say 

prayers 

prayers 

night 

ight 

s ay 

pr ay ers 

p ray ers 

n ight 

fight 

ay 

ay 

ray 

ight 

right 


sight 

light 

might 

tight 


134 


TEACHERS’ M4NUAL 


Page 23 


This review should be enlarged on the blackboard to take 
in all the action words thus far taught. Be not afraid to 
have the pupils repeat and repeat the sight words. 

New Word. What. 

Phonics. Teach wh. 

Review the work of the previous day, and s; (s, page 2). 


white 
wh ite 
wh 


what 
wh at 
wh 


Page 24 


Objective Teaching. The following way of teaching a 
word from the known object is merely suggestive. Let us 
take, for example, the word cat. Place the illustration of a 
cat on the board. Ask what it represents. The children 
will answer that it represents a cat. Print the word cat under 
the illustration. By association the pupils will go from the 
known illustration to the unknown printed symbol. Ask 
a pupil, “ What do you see ? ” He will answer, “ I see a cat.” 
Use the word in other sentences. Concentrate the attention 
of the pupils on the word by asking them about the number 
of letters in the word. How many tall letters ? How many 
short letters? Print the word with a capital and with a 
small letter. Have the children find the word among the 
Perception Cards. It is not necessary to study the nine 
objects at once. It is a much better plan to teach the word 
objectively as you need it in the lesson. 

Phonics. Teach er. 

Review the work of the previous day, and at, all, th, and 


PRIMER —PAGE 25 


135 


c; (at, page 19; all, page 11; th, page 18; c, page 15; n, 
page 22). 


father 

mother 

sister 

brother 

fath er 

moth er 

sist er 

broth er 

er 

er 

er 

er 

Separating words 

: words in words. 


ball 

cat 

bird 

ball 

c at 

b ir d 

all 

at 

ir 


Page 25 



Conversational Background. Once upon a time a little 
girl was asked by her teacher to sing a song. The little girl 
was very much surprised, so she said to the teacher, “ Sing, 
sing, what shall I sing?” etc. Have the children repeat this 
rhyme several times. When they know it by memory, 
have them pick out the new words: sing, shall, ran, away, 
with, of, string. 

Reading. After the pupils have read this rhyme, prevail 
on them to act it. 

Oral Language. Ask the children to tell you about the 
cats they have in their homes. The chief purpose of this 
exercise is to get them to express their thoughts. 

Seat Work. Have the children build, “ The cat ran away 
with a ball of string.” 

Phonics. Teach sh. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ing, an, i (short), 
r, and w, (ing, page 1; an, page 15 ; i, (short), pages 1 and 18; 
r, page 7; w, pages 4 and 5). 

shall sing 

sh all string 

sh ing 


136 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Separating words : words in words. 


away 

ran 

with 

string 

a way 

r an 

wi th 

st ring 

way 

an 

th 

ring 

Word Games: 

Sing, ran. 



skip 

morning 

red 

can 

s kip 

morn ing 

r ed 

c an 

s 

ing 

r 

an 


sing 


ran 


Things to Do. Use the Perception Cards to see if the 
pupils know the sight words. 

Page 26 

Reading. Tell the children that you are going to ask them 
to read this lesson without the usual preparation. Have 
them read it over silently in the first place. Then see if any 
of them can read it at sight. 

Dramatization. Select five pupils to take the place of the 
father, the mother, the sister, the brother, and the baby, and 
have each say, “ I can sing.” 

Project or Problem. While you are interpreting the illus¬ 
tration, ask the pupils to tell you what the little girl said to her 
companions. This will cause them to think of the content of 
the lesson. 

Seat Work. Induce the pupils to add to some of the verbs 
already taught, I can, you can, he can; for example, I can 
see, you can see, he can see. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and a 
(short), wh, and/; (a (short), page 4; wh, page 23; /, page 

9 ). 


PRIMER —PAGE 27 


137 


and 

can 

at 

an 

a 

Page 27 

Conversational Background. I know a dear little girl who 
loves her father and mother more than I can tell. Every 
night when she is ready for bed, she comes down stairs to the 
sitting room to bid her father and mother good night. What 
do you think she says to them ? I will tell you. Here are 
the very words she uses, “ Good night, father, Good night, 
mother.” 

New Words. All, going, am. Let the pupils see the 
difference in these words. All has a short letter at the begin¬ 
ning and two tall letters at the end. Place hall on the board. 
See if they recognize all in that word. Going has a tall 
letter at the beginning and at the end and three short letters 
in between. Put go on the board. Find out if they recognize 
it in going. Ask them to tell you another word that ends in 
ing. Am is made up of two short letters. 

Dramatization. Select six pupils and let each take the 
part of either the father, the mother, the sister, the brother, 
Joseph, or the baby. Let another pupil be the little girl. 
She will go to each member of the family and say good night 
to him. 

-■Thought Question. Why did the little girl say “ good 
night ” to the different members of the family ? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and 
ing ; (ing, page 1). 


138 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Ear Training. 

keep kiss kept 

keeps kissed kind 

keeping kissing kill 

Separating words : words in words. 

going all am 

go ing ball ham 

go wall ram 

fall jam 


gall 

hall 

tall 

call 

Word Game: Going. 


go 

smg 

go 

sing 

go 

ing 


going 

Things to Do. Review the “ Finger Family. ” 

Page 28 

Conversational Background. You know, dear children, 
that your fathers and mothers love you dearly. I want to 
tell you that God loves you, too. Everything you have comes 
from Him. He has given you good fathers, mothers, brothers, 
and sisters. He has made the wonderful world in which you 
live. He has made the land, the water. He has made the 
sun, the moon, and the stars. He has made everything in 
the world. You see, then, why you should love God. 

New Words. Pretty, Sue, God, bless, too. Key sentence, 
“ Pretty Sue loves God too.” In teaching these words have 
the pupils tell you a number of things that are pretty. Then 


PRIMER — PAGE 29 139 

have them tell you about Sue. Lead them to understand 
that it is the name of a child, — that it is a girl's name. 
The word God is easily brought to their attention. Let them 
see that it always begins with a capital letter. 

Thought Question. How do we know that God loves us? 
Phonics. Teach bl and k. 

Review the work of the previous day, and e (short), o 
(short), p, b, and g; (e, (short), page 17 ; o, (short), page 9 ; 
p, page 16 ; b , page 7 ; g page 8). 


bless 

blue 

blew 

like 

skip 

bless 

bl ess 

bl ue 

bl ew 

li ke 

sk ip 

bed 

bl 

bl 

bl 

k 

k 

every 


e 

Separating words: words in words. 

bless 
b less 
less 

Things to Do. Select several children and tell each that 
he is going sight seeing. Appoint one to go to a neighboring 
park, another to the zoo, one to church, to the store, etc. 
Each leader calls three companions to follow him, saying 
each time, “ Henry, will you come, too? ” etc. 

Chart. God bless us all. 

Page 29 

Conversational Background. One day last Fall a little 
boy dressed as an Indian went to visit his grandmother who 
lived in the next town. When the grandmother saw the little 
Indian boy coming up the street, she said to herself, “ Who 
can this be?” When he rang her bell, she was still more 
surprised. But the biggest surprise of all came when the 


140 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


little Indian boy gave her a big hug. What do you think 
she said to the boy? “ God bless you/’ etc. 

Picture Study. Is the little boy a real Indian? Who is 
with the little boy? Do you think grandmother loves her 
little boy ? Listen to what she is saying to him. 

New Words. Keep, my, days, year. 

Dramatization. Let the Sister be the grandmother, and 
each pupil can take the part of the Indian boy. 

Oral Language. Discuss with the pupils a day, a year, 
morning, and night. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ay, 
k, y, and d (ay, page 17; y, page 1; k, page 28; d, page 1). 

Separating words : words in words. 


year 

ear 

y ear 

dear 

ear 

fear 


gear 


hear 


near 


tear 


Word Games: Keep, days. 


walk 

see 

up 

day s 

wal k 

s ee 

up 

days 

k 

ee 

P 



keep 



God keep you, my 

dear. 



Page 30 

Conversational Background. Once upon a time two little 
boys dressed as Indians visited their grandmother. Grand¬ 
mother was not feeling very well. She wished to be alone so 


PRIMER —PAGE 31 


141 


she could take a rest. So she said to the boys, “ Go with 
mother, children/’ etc. 

New Words. She, will, song. 

Phonics. — Teach ill. 

Review the work of the previous day, and i (short), l, 
and sh ; {i, (short), pages 1 and 18; l, page 4; sh, page 25). 


will 

ill 

w ill 

dill 

ill 

fill 


bill 


mill 


sill 


till 


will 


Separating words : words in words. 


will 

song 


gong 

w ill 

s ong 


long 

ill 

ong 


song 

Word Games: 

Tell, she. 



out 

well 

shall 

we 

ou t 

w ell 

sh all 

w e 

t 

ell 

sh 

e 


tell 

she 



Page 31 

Review. We cannot exaggerate the importance of 
review work for first-grade children. Unless the sentences, 
the groups, and the single words are constantly reviewed, 
they will get vague and confused notions of things and will 
not make real progress in learning to read. Do not slight 
a review lesson. Give the review all the attention that you 


142 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


would an ordinary lesson. It means much to the pupils. 
It supplements the previous work, and often clarifies their 
ideas regarding the meaning of a word, a group, or a sentence. 
It is most important that these expressions used in everyday 
life should be well known by all the pupils. Politeness, like 
every other subject that enters into our lives, must be culti¬ 
vated and developed. 

Phonics. Review work of the previous day, and ing, and, 
andj ; (ing, page 1 ; and, page 10; j, pages 3, 4, and 5). 

Page 32 

Conversational Background. Some time ago, a very polite 
little boy met an old gentleman and a lady. They stopped 
to talk to him. He answered their questions. The old lady 
asked, “ What is your name, dear? Can you sing? ” The 
little boy answered, “ My name is Joseph,” etc. 

New Words. Your, name. 

Thought Question. After the pupils have interpreted 
the illustration and read the lesson, ask them to tell you what 
the little boy said. Key sentence, “ I love your dear name.” 

Seat Work. Build, “ I love Your dear name.” “ I 
love Your sweet name.” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ch, 
un, n, y; (ch, page 1; un, page 7 ; n, page 22 ; y , page 1). 

Separating words : words in words. 

name ame 

n ame same 

ame lame 


Page 33 

Picture Study. Do you like this picture? What is our 
Lord doing? Does Jesus love boys and girls? How do you 


PRIMER —PAGE 33 


143 


know He loves them? Who are in the picture besides Jesus 
and the little children ? Are there any men there ? 

One little boy said sometime ago, “ I think it is the most 
beautiful picture I have ever seen.’’ Do you think so? 

New Word. Said. Ask each pupil to memorize these four 
lines. Then have them point out the new words. Drill on 
them for both recognition and meaning. Be sure that the 
children realize that it was Jesus Who said these words to 
the boys and girls that flocked around Him. 

Religious and Ethical Features. This page lends itself to 
a lesson on the love of Jesus for little children. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and in, s, 
and h ; (in, page 10; s, page 2 ; b, page 7). 

Separating words : words in words. 


said 
s aid 
aid 


aid 

laid 

maid 

paid 


Word Game: Wants. 


want s 
wants 


Things to Do. Place a number of phrases on the board. 
Mention a particular phrase and call upon a pupil to erase 
it. Let this game be continued until all the phrases are 
erased. 


Jesus said 
to the children 
tell Me 
love Me 
I love 


love you 
tell Me true 
the children 
as I love 


144 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


In connection with this lesson, the beautiful hymn, “Jesus, 
Friend of Little Children/ 7 might be taught.' 

Page 34 

Picture Study. Help the children to understand what 
the little boy is saying as he kneels before the Christmas 
crib. Ask them to guess what he is saying. Listen to every¬ 
thing they have to say. Tell the story of the birth of Christ. 

Reading. In the previous lesson Jesus asked the children 
whether they loved Him as He loved them. In this lesson 
the child answers the question that Jesus asked. 

Seat Work. Build the lines of the lesson on the desk. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and at 
and all ; (all, page 11; at, page 19). 

Things to Do. Teach the pupils how to sing these deeply 
religious words. 

Chart. “ I love You, dear Jesus. 77 

Page 35 

Conversational Background. Once upon a time a mother 
and her three children were sitting on the front porch watch¬ 
ing the automobiles go by. The children talked about a 
great many things of interest, and the mother took part in the 
conversation occasionally. The mother then told the chil¬ 
dren about Jesus and the good things He did for each of us. 
The children were deeply impressed. When the mother 
had finished her story, what do you think the children said ? 
Would you like to know ? Then open your books and read the 
next lesson. 

New Words. Happy, Sally, yes. Teach happy and 
Sally by emphasizing the contrast in the initial sounds of 


PRIMER —PAGE 36 


145 


each word. The word yes has one tall letter and two short 
letters. Use these words in sentences. 

Thought Question. How do children show that they love 
Jesus? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and a 
(short), and e (short); ( a (short), pages 4, 10, and 15; e 
(short), page 17). 

happy Sally 

h a ppy S a lly 

a a 

Separating words : words in words. 

happy ap 

h ap py lap 

ap map 

rap 
sap 
tap 

Word Game: Other. 

another 
an other 
other 

Things to Do. Ask the pupils to find out who is happy, 
who is little, and who is pretty. 

Page 36 

Conversational Background. I once knew a little boy 
named Joseph. He was a dear little fellow. He was always 
happy and always ready to play. One morning he was 
going on a picnic. Just as he was ready to step into the auto, 
it began to rain. Do you know what Joseph said? Do you 
want me to tell you? Let me see if any of you can find out 


146 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


what Joseph said. The children then open the Primer and 
try to read the next lesson without further preparation. In 
the meantime, the teacher finds out the words that the pupils 
do not know. 

New Words. One, day, rain, another, again, wants. 
When the pupils recognize these words readily call on them 
to use them in sentences. 

Thought Question. Why did Joseph want the rain to go 
away? 

Seat Work. Have the children form a window with their 
pegs. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and er, 
ay, th, w, r, and o (short); (er, page 24; ay, page 17; th, page 


18; w, page 5 ; r, page 7 ; o (short), page 9). 
Separating words : words in words. 


another rain again 

again 

ain 

an r ain ag ain 

other ain ain 

a gain 
gain 

gain 

lain 



main 



pain 

Page 37 


rain 


Conversational Background. “ Oh Mother/’ said little 
Joseph, “ I wish the rain would go away.” 


“ Why do you wish the rain would go away? ” asked the 
mother. “ The rain does not do anything to you.” 

“ I do not like the rain, because it keeps me in the house. 
If the rain would gp away, I could go out to play.” 

New Words. Not, like, it, house, cannot, keeps. Key 
sentence, “ I do not like the rain.” 

Thought Question. What is the rain good for? Why is 
rain a blessing? 


PRIMER — PAGE 38 


147 


Oral Language. Induce the pupils to speak about differ¬ 
ent houses they have seen. 

Seat Work. Build : “ Rain, rain, go away,” etc. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and o 
(short), an , c, and k; (o (short), page 9; an, page 15; c, page 
15; k, page 28). 

Separating words : words in words. 


keeps 
k eep s 
eep 
deep 
sheep 


cannot 

can 


not 


Page 38 


Picture Study. Lead the pupils to interpret the illus¬ 
tration. Help them to see the happy, playful spirit of the 
children. Arouse the desire to play the game. 

New Words. When, hear, call, other. Let the pupils 
compare hear and dear, call and hall, other and another. 
Teach when from the context. 

Blackboard Work. Place various words already known 
in a large circle on the blackboard. Among them place the 
word when several times. Let the children in turn find 
when as many times as they can. See who can find it as 
many times as it occurs. The children ask a number of 
questions beginning with when. The teacher writes these on 
the board, and children later underline the new word when 
in its context. 

Phonics. Teach en. 

Review the work of the previous day, and er, all, wh, 
th, and b ; (er, page 24; all, page 11; wh, page 23; th, page 
18; b, page 7). 


148 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


when 

children 

en 

wh en 

childr en 

den 

en 

en 

hen 

Separating words: 
when 

words in words. 

hear 

men 

pen 

ten 

call 

w hen 

h ear 

c all 

hen 

ear 

all 


Things to Do. — Count the number of letters in the words 
of this lesson. 

Page 39 

Picture Study. Have the pupils tell you what the little 
girl is saying to her doll. Have them tell you what they 
would say to the doll if it belonged to them. 

New Words. Are, sleep, rock, dolly, for. 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to tell you all about 
their dolls. 

Seat Work. Give each child an outline of a doll and have 
them color it to suit themselves. Let them cut out the doll. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and un 
and f; (un, page 7; f, page 9). 

Separating words : words in words. 


for 

dolly 

keeps 

sweet 

f or 

doll y 

k eep s 

sw eet 

or 

doll 

eep 

. sw eep 



deep 

sweep 



sheep 




sleep 



Things to Do. Have the children show you how they put 
the doll to sleep. 


PRIMER —PAGE 40 


149 


Language Lesson. Teach the child that are is used when 
speaking of more than one thing. Place two or more books 
on the table and say, “Mary, where are the books?” Ans. 
“ The books are on the table.” Repeat the game, changing 
the number and kinds of objects used. Be sure that are is 
stressed in both question and answer. 

Page 40 

Picture Study. After the pupils have studied the differ¬ 
ent features of the illustration, ask them to tell you what the 
little girl said to the doll. Place what they say on the black¬ 
board for a reading lesson. 

New Words. Warm, rest, have. Key sentence, “ Take a 
rest, for it is warm.” Name things that are warm. Name 
things that are cold. When do you take a rest? When is 
it warm ? When is it cold ? 

Thought Question. Give another name for a cradle. 

Seat Work. Have the pupils trace a cradle. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(short), ill, r, and y; (e (short), page 17; ill, page 30; r, 
page 7; y, page 1). 

Separating words : words in words. 

rest est 

r est best 

lest 
nest 
pest 
test 
vest 

Things to Do. Tell how many times sleep, warm, cradle, 
bed, and rest are used in the lesson. 


150 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Page 41 

New Words. Polly, darling. 

Reading. This lesson tends to develop both articulation 
and enunciation. 

Seat Work. Build the jingle. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day. 

Separating words : words in words. 

Polly oily darling 

oily dolly dar 

dar n 
darn 
dark 
ark 
lark 
hark 
mark 
shark 
park 
s park 
spark 

Things to Do. Have the pupils memorize this jingle. 
When they know it, then have them act it by rocking the 
dolly in their arms and keep time with the words. 

Page 42 

New Words. Talk, dolly’s. 

Reading. In this exercise the teacher is to ask a pupil 
to read any of these sentences quietly, and to give the answer 
orally in a complete sentence. The aim of the lesson is to 
review the newly-introduced words and to develop the 
sentence-sense of the children. The teacher should write 


PRIMER —PAGE 43 


151 


the answers on the board so that the children may compare 
the questions and answers. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and o 
(short), and , and /; (o (short), page 9; and, page 10; /, 
page 9). 

on 

doll 

of 

God 

cannot 

rock 

dolly 

Polly 

dolly’s 

o 


Separating words : words in words. 


dolly’s 

talk 

doll y’s 

alk 

doll 

ch alk 


chalk 

Word Game: Talk. 


to 

walk 

t 0 

w alk 

t 

alk 


talk 

Page 43 

Picture Study. Call on several children to tell what the 
illustration is about. 

New Words. Up, down, town, turn, face, about. 

Oral Language. — This lesson gives the pupils an oppor¬ 
tunity to speak about the games they play. 

Phonics. Teach final e. 


152 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Review the work of the previous day, and er , s, and t; 
(er, page 24; s, page 2; t, page 6). 

Give plenty of drill on the usual effect of final e, which 
generally lengthens the vowel preceding it, final e being 


lent (lazy e). 




hop 

hope 



can 

cane 



at 

ate 



not 

note 


Separating words 

: words in words. 


town 

turn 

face 

about 

down 

t ur n 

f ace 

ab out 

own 

ur 

ace 

out 

gown 

fur 

lace 


bl own 


place 


cl own 


race 




grace 



Things to Do. — Have the pupils give you sentences with 
up, down, in, out, about, around. 

Page 44 

Conversational Background. I know the dearest little 
baby. Her name is Sue. She lives not far from me. One 
day Baby Sue went for a walk with her mother. As they 
were going along the street, Baby Sue met a little cat playing 
with a ball. She took the little cat in her arms, and what do 
you think she said? Do you want me to tell you? Very 
well, I will do so. She said to the little cat, “ You are a 
pretty cat. You are a good cat. How do you do ? ” 

New Words. Went, was, met, playing, took, be, her, arms. 

Seat Work. Have the pupils trace from patterns the 
outline of a cat. 


PRIMER—PAGE 45 


153 


Phonics. — Teach ook. 

Review the work of the previous day, and e (short), ing, 
ay, m, and w ; (e (short), page 17 ; ing, page 1; ay, page 17 ; 
m, page 6; w, page 5). 


took 

ook 

bless 

yes 

rest 

went 

met 

t ook 

look 

ble ss 

yes 

r est 

w ent 

m et 

ook 

book 

e 

e 

e 

e 

e 


cook 







hook 







nook 







Separating words : words in words. 


playing 
p lay mg 
lay 
laying 
saying 
praying 
playing 


marching 

morning 

loving 

pointing 


Word Game: her. 

hop father 

h er fath er 
h er 

her 


arms 
arm s 


Things to Do. Point out the words that Baby Sue said 
to the cat. Place all the phrases in this lesson on the board, 
and accustom the children to read them as they should be 
read. 

Page 45 


Picture Study. How many people in the store ? How is 
the little boy dressed? How is the storekeeper dressed? 
Are there many things in the store? Name some of them. 


154 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


New Words. Sir , Jack , White , ice cream, some , take , 
good-bye. 

Dramatization. Have two pupils play this lesson. 

Thought Question. Of all the things in the store, which 
do you like best ? 

Oral Language. The teacher asks, “ What is your name ? ” 
and the pupil answers, “ My name is Jack White,” or what¬ 
ever else it may be. This accustoms the children to tell their 
names as well as to answer questions in a sentence. 

Phonics. Teach ack. 

Review the work of the previous day, and e (final), a 
(short), ar, g, and j ; (e (final), page 43 ; a (short), pages 4, 10, 
15 , and 35 ; ir, page 8 ; g, page 8 ; j, page 4). 

Jack ack 

J ack back 

ack hack 

lack 
rack 
tack 
shack 
whack 

Word Game : Some . 

skip come 

s kip c ome 
s ome 

some 

Things to Do. Have a few of the children play store. 

Page 46 

Conversational Background. One day a mother took her 
little girl out for a stroll in the fields. The little girl saw a 
great many things and' asked a great many questions. As 


PRIMER —PAGE 47 


155 


she walked along, she came to a tall tree. Up in the tree was 
a little bird. What was he doing up there? He was sing¬ 
ing a song. He was singing for you, and he was singing for 
me. Then he stopped and said to the little girl, “ I should 
like to sing some more for you, but now I want to go to bed.” 

New Words. Sat, birdie, but, now. 

Seat Work. Build the lesson. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ir 
and n\ {ir, page 8; n, page 22). 

Ear Training. 


very 

vim 

virgin 

vest 

visit 

veil 

vase 

veal 

vote 

van 

Separating words : words in words. 

sat 

birdie 

s at 

bird ie 

at 

bird 

Word Game: Now. 

not 

how 

n ot 

h ow 

n 

ow 


now 


Things to Do. Trace the outline of a bird. 

Page 47 

New Words. Look, likes, singing, he. 

Blackboard Work. Draw on the board a tree with apples 
on it. On each apple write a word. See how many pupils 
can pluck all the apples. 


156 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Thought Question. Why does the bird sing ? 

Oral Language. Discuss with your pupils birds and their 
habits. Have them tell you the things a bird can do. Ask 
them to name the birds they know. 

Seat Work. From an outline, have the pupils trace a tree. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and i 
(short), ook, ing, and l ; (i (short), pages 1 and 18; ook, 
page 44 ; ing, page 1; l, page 4). 

Ear Training. 

vine Eva 

vote even 

vat ever 

van oven 

vane cover 

view river 

Separating words : words in wor 
singing 
sing ing 
sing 

Word Games : Look, likes, he. 
like took like s 

1 ike t ook likes 

1 ook 

look 

Page 48 

Conversational Background. One hot day, Alice went 
out in the garden to pick some flowers for her mother. As 
she walked along through the garden, she saw a little bird 
hopping on the ground. The little bird began to hop away 
when it saw Alice. Then Alice began t.o talk to the bird. 
Who can tell me what Alice said to the bird ? 


rds. 


five 

move 

have 

wave 

cave 

love 


how 
h ow 
h 


she 
sh e 


he 


PRIMER—PAGE 49 


157 


New Words. Alice, much, beautiful, very. 

Thought Question. What is the longest and what is the 
shortest word in this lesson ? 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to tell you all the beauti¬ 
ful things they know about the birds. 

Phonics. Teach v. 

Review the work of the previous day, and an, en, ch, b, and 
y ; {an, page 15 ; en, page 38; ch, page 1; b, page 7 ; y, page 1). 


very 
v ery 
v 

march 

much 


love every 

lo v e e v ery 

v v 

children’s 
church 


Page 49 

Objective Teaching. Place a picture of each of these 
objects on the board. Have the pupils tell you what they 
are. When they tell the name of the object, print the name 
under it so that the children may associate the name with the 
object. Then, if time permits, erase the names and have the 
children match the Perception Cards with the objects. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), sh y c, and g ; (e (final), page 43; sh, page 25 ; c, page 
15; g, page 8). 

she 

shoe 

shepherd 


Separating words : words in words. 


stable 

star 

gate 

clock 

shepherd 

jumping 

st able 

s tar 

g ate 

c lock 

shep herd 

jump ing 

able 

tar 

ate 

lock 

herd 

ing 


158 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Word Game: Clock. 


clap rock 

cl ap r ock 
cl ock 

clock 


Page 50 


Picture Study. Discuss with the pupils the features of 
the illustration. Let them realize what the teacher and 
pupils in the picture are doing. 

New Words. They, sings, birds, babies. 

“They” Game. Present pictures of animals, birds, and 
children in action. Focus attention on activity by questions 
like the following, What are the chickens, etc. etc., doing ? ” 
Teacher points the answer. “ They are looking for worms,” 
etc. Recognition of they is effected by pointing and under¬ 
lining the word in each of the answers contributed. 

Oral Language. Induce the pupils to tell you how the 
bird builds its nest. If their knowledge is rather limited 
advise them to ask their parents about it. Show the pupils 
pictures of various kinds of nests. 

Seat Work. Have each child build sentences about the 
pictures, repeating they in each sentence. Have the pupils 
tell how many words in the different sentences of the lesson, 
and how many letters in the new words. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ir, 
in, and s {ir, pages 8 and 46; in, page 10; s, page 2). 

Separating words : words in words. 


sings 
sing s 
sing 


birds 
bird s 
bird 


PRIMER—PAGE 52 


159 


Things to Do. Trace from a cut-out pattern the outline 
of a bird and color as a robin red-breast or a blue-bird. 

Page 51 

Conversational Background. You remember the other 
day when we went for a walk in the country. We saw a 
mother bird in the tree. She was singing a sweet song for 
her baby birds. One little girl in the class thought it was so 
kind of the mother bird that she told her mother about it. 
The little girl’s mother wrote these lines for her child. The 
next day when the little girl came to school, she read them 
for the teacher and the other pupils. 

New Words. Near, birdies, until, calls. Contrast babies 
with baby, nest with rest. 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to see that little birds have 
fathers and mothers like little children. Have them tell you 
what the father bird does and what the mother bird does. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and un, 
all, and n; (all, page 11; un, page 7 ; n, page 22). 

Separating words : words in words. 


birdies 

near 

calls 

bird ies 

n ear 

call s 

bird 

ear 

call 



c all 



all 


Things to Do. Ask the pupils to find out how often the 
words sleep, mother, tree, birdies, and rest, are used in the 
lesson. 

Page 52 

Review. We cannot over-estimate the value of review 
work in the teaching of reading. This exercise is merely a 


160 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


suggestion as to what the teacher may and should do occa¬ 
sionally in order to fix the vocabulary in the minds of the 
pupils. Some very successful teachers have a review lesson 
for every page. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and er, 
at, r, and v; (er, page 24 ; at, page 19 ; r, page 7; v, page 48). 

Page 53 

Conversational Background. Many years ago, there 
lived a little boy called Fred. Before he was big enough to 
go to school, Fred learned many things from his father and 
mother. He could sing a few songs, and he could play 
several games. He was very fond of his father and mother, 
and they loved him. He used to call them papa and mamma 
instead of father and mother. Every night, just as sure as 
bedtime came, Fred, dressed in his little nightgown, would 
say his prayers and then kiss his father and mother “ good¬ 
night.” I wonder if all the boys and girls in this class do 
so. 

New Words. Fred, always, his, kissed, mamma, papa, 
then, before, upstairs. Drill particularly on always, his, 
then, before. 

Reading. When the pupils have read this selection, call 
on each of them to say it from memory. 

Thought Question. Do boys and girls around here say 
mamma and papa, or father and mother ? 

Oral Language. Discuss with the pupils the social and 
religious aspect of this lesson. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(short), ay, en, h, k, and t; (e (short), pages 17 and 44; 
ay, page 17 ; en, page 38; h, page 3 ; ft, page 28; t, page 6). 



PRIMER — 

PAGE 54 


161 

Separating words : words in words. 



Fred always 

mamma 

papa 

before 

stairs 

F red al ways 

ma mma 

pa pa 

be fore 

st air s 

red ways 

ma 

pa 

be for e 

air 




for 


Word Games: 

His, then. 




he 

is 

they 

when 


he 

is 

th ey 

wh en 


h 

is 

th 

en 



his 

then 



Things to Do. From a pattern, have the pupils draw 
a flight of stairs. Have each pupil use one of these new 
words in a sentence. 

Page 54 

New Words. Tag, fun, game. Practically ail children 
know how to play tag. That being so, introduce the new 
words through conversation on the subject. Have the pupils 
stand around the classroom. Let the brightest boy in the 
classroom be “it.” He comes to the teacher’s desk where 
the Perception Cards are, takes one of them, and gives it to 
another pupil. This pupil takes the card to the front of the 
room and tells what word is printed on it. Then he takes a 
new card and gives it to another pupil, who steps to the front 
of the room and reads it. This game can be continued 
until all the Perception Cards have been read. 

Thought Question. Why is it good for boys and girls to 
play tag? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and 
ill, un, g, and a (short); (ill, page 30; un, page 7; g, page 8; 
a (short), pages 4, 10, 15, and 35). 


162 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


at 

an 

Jack 

Alice 

tag 

a 

Word Games: Game, fun. 


name 

face 

run 

n ame 

f ace 

r un 

ame 

f 

un 


game fun 

Things to Do. Place the phrases of this lesson on the 
board and have the pupils read them. Insist that they do not 
stress the preposition too much. Take all the pupils to the 
playground and have a real game of tag. 

Page 55 

New Words. Many, has, dolls, rooms, brothers, sisters. 

Reading. Silent. This exercise in silent reading gives 
the teacher an idea of how the different phrases and clauses 
may be developed. When the pupils can answer each of 
these in a complete sentence, put other questions of this kind 
on the board and have them answered by the pupils. This 
lesson shows how number work can be introduced naturally 
into the reading exercises. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and o 
(short), ir, th, d, and m; (o (short), pages 9 and 42; ir, 
page 8; th, page 18; d, page 1; m, page 6). 

Separating words : words in words. 


has 

dolls 

rooms 

h as 

dolls 

room s 

as 

doll 

room 


PRIMER —* PAGE 57 


163 


Page 56 

Purpose. The chief purpose of this lesson is to compare 
the figure 1 with the word one, the figure 2 with the word two, 
etc. Notice that the number of objects corresponds with 
the figure and the word. If variety is needed, the teacher 
can readily change the object to other well-known objects; 
such as a ball or an egg. This exercise should be first devel¬ 
oped on the board before placing the book in the hands of 
the pupils. Give the children plenty of drill in matching the 
figure with the object, the word with the object, and the 
word with the figure. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), i (short), /, and v; (e (final), page 43; i (short), 
page 1; /, page 9 ; v, page 48). 


sing 

birdies 

with 

until 

string 

his 

will 

kissed 

singing 

sisters 

Alice 

six 

sings 

i 


i 

Page 57 


New Words. Tie, open, pick, sticks, close. 

Reading. Allow the children to memorize this rhyme. 
Then call on them to tell you what “ one, two ” says, what 
“ three, four ” says, etc. Finally call on them to read the 
entire rhyme. 

Phonics. Teach ick. 

Review the work of the previous day, and en, c, and p\ 
(en, page 38; c, page 15; p, page 16). 


164 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


pick 

sticks 

ick 

p ick 

st ick s 

lick 

ick 

ick 

thick 


Separating words : words in words. 

open sticks 

o pen stick s 

pen ’ stick 

Things to Do. Make several lines of 1 , 2, 3, 4 , 5, 6, 7, 
8, 9, 10. 

Page 58 

New Words. High, as, live. 

Dramatization. Children hold up one finger when saying 
the first line, two fingers when saying the second, etc. 

Seat Work. Form one, two, etc., with pegs. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and wh, 
ch, w, and y ; (wh, page 23 ; ch, pages 1 and 48; w, page 5; 
y, page 1). 

Page 59 

New Word. Into. 

Things to Do. This exercise in silent reading has much 
interest for the pupils, because it makes them read a sentence 
in silence and then do what it says. If the teacher sees fit, 
she can readily extend this lesson so as to take in other action 
words. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and in, 
un, c, and p; (in, page 10; un, page 7; c, page 15; p, 
page 16). 

Separating words : words in words. 

into 

in 


to 


PRIMER—PAGE 60 


165 


Pages 60-61 

Picture* Study. Lead the pupils to talk about this picture 
and other pictures they have seen of Jesus. Bring out the 
important fact that Jesus was once a little baby, and that 
in the course of time He grew to be a big man. 

New Words. Ago, years, cold, born, that, Bethlehem, big, 
looked, shepherds, told, saw, boy. Encourage the child to 
apply his knowledge of sounds in independent discovery of 
new words. 

Thought Question. Why was Jesus born in a cold stable ? 

Religious and Ethical Features. Review the words and 
music of, “ I love You, dear Jesus.” 

Oral Language. Discuss with the pupils the Birth of 
Jesus. Ask them these questions; “ When was He born? 
Where was He born ? Who told the shepherds of His birth ? 
What did the shepherds do?” etc. 

Phonics. Page 60. 

Review the work of the previous day, and at, th, b, and y; 
(at, page 19 ; th, page 18; b, page 7; y, page 1). 


father 

mother 

brother 

with 


another 

other 

brothers 

through 

Separating words : words in words. 


years 
y ears 
ear s 
ear 


that 
th at 
at 


166 


TEACHERS 7 MANUAL 


Word Game: Ago 


at 

go 

a t 

go 

a 

go 


ago 

Phonics. Page 61. 

Teach q. 

Review the work of the previous day, and sh, ook, and l; 
(sh, page 25; ook, page 44; l, page 4). 

Ear Training. 

quack quail 

queen quill 

quick quart 


Separating words: 

words in words. 


told 

shepherds 

looked 

t old 

shep herds 

look ed 

old 

herd s 

look 


herd 


Chart. Jesus was born in a cold stable at Bethlehem. 

Page 62 

Picture Study. Aid the pupils to describe the characters 
in this lesson. Let them understand that the little boy is 
doing the talking. 

New Words. Rover, swim, does, talks, jumps, plays. 
Put these questions on the blackboard, printing the word 
does in each sentence with yellow chalk. Have each question 
answered in a complete sentence. 

When does baby laugh ? 

When does Mama bake? 

When does Father come home? 


PRIMER—PAGE 62 


167 


When does the bird sing? 

When does the dog bark ? 

When does the moon shine? 

Thought Questions. What line tells the dog’s name? 
What kind of dog was he ? What could he do ? What did 
he like to do ? What could Rover not do ? 

Oral Language . Induce the children to talk about dogs. 
They may have a dog at home or they may have seen dogs 
on the street. Have them tell what a dog can do. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and er, 
ay, d, and j; (er, page 24 ; ay, page 17; d, page 1; j, page 4). 

another 

other 

brothers 

sisters 

Rover 

er 

Separating words : words in words. 


Rover 

plays 

talks 

R over 

plays 

talk s 

over 

lay 

talk 


lays 



Word Game : Swim . 

so we him 

so we him 

s w im 

swim 

Things to Do. Induce the pupils to make up several 
sentences about Rover. 


168 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Page 63 

Picture Study. After arousing the interest of the children 
by talking about the picture, tell them that you will read 
what the story says about two little dogs. 

New Words. By, fire, never, word, did, till, if, dogs. 

Thought Question. Why did one of the dogs say to the 
other, “ Good-day”? 

Oral Language. Have the pupils tell this rhyme in their 
own words. Then place it on the reading chart. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), ill, n, and t ; ( e (final), page 43 ; ill, page 30 ; n, page 
22; t, page 6). 


Separating words: 

words in words. 


dogs 

never 

till 

dog s 

n ever 

till 

dog 

ever 

ill 


Page 64 



New Words. Dickory, dock, struck. 

Thought Question. At what time did the mouse run ? 
Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and i 
(short), o (short), in, s, and v; (i (short), pages 1, 18, and 56 ; 
o (short), pages 9 and 42 ; in, page 10 ; s, page 2; v, page 48). 
Ear Training. 


squall 

quiet 


squash 

quilt 


squab 

quaint 


Word Games: Struck, dock. 
string up clock 

did 

clock 

stj ing u p clo ck 

did 

cl ock 

str u ck 

d 

ock 

struck 


dock 


PRIMER —PAGE 66 


169 


Page 65 

New Words. Make, makes, know, tell, please. Have 
children contribute sentences telling: (a) things they know 
how to do ; (6) things which — as make-believe-workers — 
they make; e.g. “ I am a baker.” “ I make bread”; etc.; 
(c) requests for Santa Claus (the teacher). “ Please give me 
a drum”; etc. The sentences so contributed might form 
the basis of recognition drills upon the required words. 

Dramatization. The teacher should have a small jumping 
jack where all the pupils can see him, and then ask the chil¬ 
dren to act like the jumping jack. 

Seat Work. Build the new words, using letters; or build 
the lesson, using words. 


Phonics. Teach ake and ell. 


tell 

well 

bell 

tell 

w ell 

dell 

ell 

ell 

fell 

Review the work of 

the previous day, 

hell 

Nell 

sell 

and m and 

page 6; p, page 16). 

take 

make 

makes 

t ake 

m ake 

m ake s 

ake 

ake 

ake 


Things to Do. Freehand drawing of a jumping jack. 


Page 66 

Review. When the pupils have shown that they know 
these words, the teacher can use this idea presenting other 


170 


TEACHERS’' MANUAL 


sight words. Drill especially on words that are difficult 
for the children, and words that need repetition. 

New Words. Christmas, words true, Infant. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and an, 
en, un, and y ; {an, page 15; en, page 38; un, page 7; y, 
page 1). 

Page 67 

New Words. Peek-a-boo. Let the pupils notice the 
length of this word and the two hyphens that connect the 
three parts. 

Dramatization. Have the smallest child in the class be the 
baby, and a half dozen of the pupils be the little girl. Place 
the baby on the teacher’s desk, and have the pupils stand 
around the desk so that they may be seen by the other pupils. 

Thought Question. How can little boys and girls like you 
help your mother ? 

Oral Language. Induce the children to tell you about 
their baby brothers and baby sisters. It is a fruitful subject 
for thought and conversation. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing, 
a (short), q, and c; {a (short), pages 4, 10, 15, 35, and 54; 
ing, page 1; c, page 15 ; q, pages 61 and 64). 

Page 68 

Conversational Background. When the little girl was 
rocking the baby to sleep, she sang this pretty song. The 
teacher sings, then reads the following song from the black¬ 
board. 

“Rockaby, baby. 

Rockaby, dear. 

Rock in the cradle; 

Mother is near,” etc. 


PRIMER—PAGE 70 


171 


New Words. Rockaby, without, fear. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and th, 
all, w,f, and r ; (all, page 11; th, pages 18 and 60; w, page 5; 
f, page 9; r, page 7). 


Separating words: 

words in words. 


rockaby 

without 

fear 

rock aby 

with 

f ear 

rock 

out 

ear 


Things to Do. From a pattern, let the pupils trace a 
cradle. 

Page 69 

Picture Study. This picture gives evidence of a boy’s 
love for his baby brother. We cannot stress too much this 
fraternal bond. Let every question, then, that you ask the 
pupils accentuate the love that all boys and girls should have 
for their baby brothers or baby sisters. 

New Words. Kiss, pet, says. 

Seat Work. Ask the pupils to cut the pictures of babies 
from printed pages previously collected. Make posters of 
pictures of babies cut out of magazines, etc. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ay 
and k ; (ay, page 17 ; k, page 28). 

Word Game: Pet. 

play me*t 

p lay m et 
p et 

pet 

Page 70 

Picture Study. Pictures are printed to tell us things. 
What does this picture tell us? What do you think the 


172 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


mother is saying ? How did the boys answer her ? Do you 
like to sleep late in the morning? How did they know it 
was late ? 

New Words. Sun, morn, begun. 

Oral Language. Have the children talk about the sun, 
the moon, and the stars, and then lead them on to tell you 
about morning and night. Let them understand that morn 
means the same as morning. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and un, 
wh, and b; (un, page 7; wh, page 23 ; b, page 7). 

until 

fun 

sun 

begun 

Separating words : words in words. 

begun 

be 

gun 

Word Games : Sun, morn. 

see run morning 

s ee r un morn ing 

s un morn 

sun 


Page 71 

Conversational Background. Many years ago, there lived 
in a far-off country one of the sweetest little girls you ever 
saw. Her parents thought that there was no one in all the 
wide world like their child. This little girl’s name was Mary 
— the best of all names. In the course of time, she grew to 


PRIMER—PAGE 71 


173 


be a young woman; and then one of the most wonderful 
things you ever heard of took place. One day while Mary 
was in her room praying, an angel came and told her that God 
wanted her to be the Mother of the Baby Jesus. Mary said 
to the angel, “ Very well; if God wants me to be the Mother 
of the Baby Jesus, I am willing.’ 7 So the Virgin Mary 
became the Mother of the Infant Jesus on Christmas Day in 
a stable at Bethlehem. Some time after, a little boy heard 
this wonderful story. When he went to school he said to 
his teacher: 

“I love the Virgin Mary, 

I love the Virgin mild. 

I love the Baby Jesus, 

The Virgin Mary’s Child.” 

New Words. Virgin Mary, child, mild, Mary’s. 

Seat Work. Lead the pupils to examine the different pic¬ 
tures of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Arrange so that each 
picture will be passed around to all the pupils. Ask them 
which one they like best. 

Phonics. Teach the sound of x. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ch, at, v, and 
ir ; {ch, page 1; at, page 19; d, page 1; y, page 1; v, page 
14; ir, pages 8 and 46). 

bird’s 

bird 

Virgin 

Ear Training. 


wax 

vex 

fix 

flax 

box 

fox 

mix 

six 


174 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Word Game: Child. 

church mild 

ch urch m ild 
ch ild 

child 

Chart. Baby Jesus is the Virgin Mary’s child. 

Page 72 

New Words. Heart, loved, kind, mother’s. From the word 
love develop loves, loving, loved. 

Thought Question. Why do all children love the Blessed 
Virgin Mary? 

Religious and Ethical Features. Sing, “ Mother of the 
Infant Jesus.” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and er, 
hi, th, and h (er, pages 24 and 62; hi, page 28; th, pages 18 
and 60; h, page 3). 

Separating words : words in words. 

loved 
love d 
love 

Chart. The Virgin Mary loves the Baby Jesus. 

Page 73 

New Words. Each, there, learn, who, share, their, toys. 
In order to impress the word who on the minds of the pupils, 
have one of the children blindfolded. Let the other pupils 
in the room come forward, take the blindfolded pupil by the 
hand and say, “ Who is this? ” The blindfolded pupil then 
tries to guess who it is. 


PRIMER—PAGE 74 


175 


Thought Question. Why does the little boy like to go to 
school ? 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to tell about the songs 
they sing and the games they play. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), sh, ch, and x; (e (final), page 43; sh, page 25; ch, 
pages 1 and 48; x, page 71). 


ice 

close 

gate 

fire 

before 

make 

game 

please 

nine 

share 


Separating words : words in words. 

learn 
1 earn 
earn 

Phonetic Principle. When two vowels come together, 
only the.first one “ talks,” and tells its own name. 

Word Game: Toys. 

tree boys 

t ree b oys 
t oys 

toys 

Things to Do. Put the picture of a few toys on the board 
and ask the children to draw them on paper. 

Page 74 

Objective Teaching. When the pupils recognize these words, 
have them give you a few sentences about each object. Then 
get the Perception Cards and match them with the objects 
on the board. 


176 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and i 


(short), en, p, and g; (i (short), 
page 38; p, page 16; g, page 8). 

pages 1, 

18, and 56 

pick 

dickory 


sticks 

Christmas 


live 

Infant 


into 

without 


big 

kiss 


swim 

Virgin 


did 

loving 


till 

pig 


if 

fish 


rabbit 


Separating words : words in words. 


chair basket 

goat 

rabbit 

ch air b ask et 

g oat 

rab bit 

air ask 

oats 

bit 

hair 


b it 


it 


When teaching goat, review the phonetic principle given 
for page 73. 

Page 75 

Picture Study. What is this building ? How do you know 
it is a school ? How many children do you see ? How many 
boys and girls ? What are they doing ? What do you see 
on the school? Why is the flag there? Why is the cross 
there ? 

New Words. Great, country, best. 

Oral Language. After the children have told you the 
things that are on the school, ask them to tell you the things 
that are in the school. 


PRIMER—PAGE 76 


177 


Seat Work. From words form, “ I love the flag. I love 
my country. I love God best of all.” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and er, 
ill , ell, j, m ; (ill, page 30; er, pages 24 and 62; ell, page 65 ; 
j, page 4; m, page 6). 

Word Game: Best. 

big rest 

b ig r est 
b est 

best 

Things to Do. Draw a cross on paper. 


Page 76 

Conversational Background. One day there was a flag 
raising at our school. A great many grown people as well 
as a large number of children were present. After the flag 
raising was over, the grown people went home and the children 
returned to school. Just as the children were seated at their 
desks, a little boy with a small American flag stood before 
them. They did not know what he was going to do. So one 
of them cried out, “ Speech! ” There was silence for a 
minute. Then the little boy began his speech, “ Hurrah for 
the American flag,” etc. 

New Words. Hurrah, loves, American, cheers. 

Seat Work. Trace an American flag. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and an, 
s, and w; (an, page 15; s, page 2 ; w, page 5). 

an 

ran 

American 


178 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Separating words : words in words. 


American 
Ameri can 


can 


Things to Do. Drill the pupils on saying, “ Three cheers 
for the American flag. Hurrah ! hurrah ! hurrah ! ” 


Page 77 


Picture Study. What is the picture about? What is 
the little girl doing? Of what is she talking? What is the 
gentleman doing ? Is he pleased with the little girl ? What 
has the little girl in her hand ? Have you an American flag ? 
How many colors in it? What are the colors? 

New Words. Give, red, blue. Have the children name 
things that are red, white, or blue. As they name them, the 
teacher writes them on the board in three columns. 

Seat Work. Draw circles and fill in with red and blue 
crayons. Cut these out and mount on paper. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and bl, 
in, q, v, and r; (bl, page 28; in, page 10; v, page 48; r, 
page 7; q, pages 61 and 64). 

Word Game: Give. 


live 
1 ive 
ive 


game 
g ame 
g 


give 


Things to Do. Give each pupil the outline of an American 
flag', and ask him to put the red and the blue in their proper 
places. 


PRIMER—PAGE 79 


179 


Page 78 


Picture Study. What are the children doing? Can you 
salute the flag ? Do you salute the flag in school every day ? 
How do you salute the flag? Can you salute the flag as 
well as the boys and girls in the illustration ? 

New Words. Die, stripes, flutter, sky, country’s, stars. 

Reading. After the pupils have memorized these lines, 
have them read the lesson, and then learn to sing it. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and wh, 
ch, x, c, and /; (wh, page 23; x, page 71; c, page 15; /, 
page 9 ; ch, pages 1 and 48). 

Separating words : words in words. 


Word Game: Die. 


stars 

stripes 

s tar s 

st ripe s 

tar 

ripe 

Die. 

dog 

tie 

d og 

t ie 

d 

ie 


die 


Things to Do. Make a number of stars. 


Page 79 

This lesson is made up of questions and answers. Have 
the pupils pick out the questions and the answers, and tell 
what is at the end of each sentence. If the children have 
never seen a bee, the teacher must tell them something about 
the habits of that hard-working little insect. This will 
enable them to see the comparison between the bee and the 
father. 


180 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


New Words. Bring, home, honey, eat, lay. When teach¬ 
ing eat, review the phonetic principle given for page 73. 

Oral Language. Discuss with the children what father, 
mother, and baby does. Do not confine yourself to the 
thoughts of the lesson. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing, 
and, and l; (ing, page 1; and, page 10; l, page 4). 


smg 

singing 

going 

jumping 

darling 

sings 

playing 

bring 

string 



Separating words : words in words. 

bring 
b ring 
ring 

Word Game: eat. 

each tag 

ea ch t ag 
ea t 

eat 

Things to Do. Trace a cent, five cent, ten cent, and twenty- 
five cent piece. This work will lead up to the making of a 
circle. 

Page 80 

New Words. Tick, tock, old, stop. Draw a large circle 
on the board. Place within the circle, as on a clock, the 
numbers from 1 to 12. Beside each number put a difficult 
sight word. Call on twelve pupils to tell what the sight 
words are. 


PRIMER —PAGE 81 


181 


Oral Language. Lead the pupils to tell you what the clock 
does, of what use it is, and why it has two black hands with 
a white face. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and o 
(short), ick, un, and y ; (o (short), pages 9 and 42 ; ick, page 
57; V, page 1; un, page 7). 

dog 

clock 

dolls 

dogs 

dock 

tock 

stop 


Separating words : words in words. 


stop 

cold 

s top 

c old 

top 

old 


Word Games: Tick, tock, old, stop. 


take dickory 
t ake d ick ory 
t ick 

tick 


tell clock 

t ell cl ock 
t ock 

tock 


string hop 
st ring h op 
st op 

stop 


Things to Do. 
hands. 


Trace the outline of a clock having two 
Page 81 


Conversational Background. When the children came 
home from school, their mother said to them, “ What did 
you learn to-day?” The children replied that they had a 
lesson on the clock. “ What does the clock do? ” asked the 
mother. “ The clock tells me when it is time to get up, when 
it is time to go to bed, when it is time to go to school,” etc. 


182 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


New Words. Time, hands, point, get. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and x 
and g ; (x, page 71 ; g, page 8). 

Separating words : words in words. 

hands hand 

hand s h and 

hand and 

Word Game: Get. 

got 
g ot 
g 

get 
Page 82 

Things to Do. Any one who knows little children is aware 
that they are most eager to do things. Their very nature 
calls for activity. As a consequence, the educative work of 
the first grade must take into consideration this tendency and 
give them plenty of exercise in doing things. 

New Word. Girl. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and sh, 
all, q, and d ; (sh, page 25 ; q, pages 61 and 64; all, page 11; 
d, page 1). 

Page 83 

Conversational Background. Once upon a time, there were 
two babies in a neighboring city. They were christened 
Rose and Marie. Every one said they were good babies. 
They took a long nap every afternoon. They did not mind 
when mother gave them a bath every day. When their 
father came home from work, he would take them on his 
knee and sing for them. One evening the father made up a 
new song. Here it is: 


pet 
p et 
et 


PRIMER—PAGE 84 


183 


Two little babies, etc. 

New Words. Sitting, fell, knee, Rose, Marie, asleep. 

Dramatization. Let the largest boy in the class sit in the 
front of the classroom with a doll on each knee. Then have 
the pupils say the rhyme in unison. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), ing, ell, and k; (e (final), pages 43 and 73; ing, 
pages 1 and 79; ell, page 65; k, page 28). 

Separating words : words in words. 


Word Game: Fell 


sitting 

asleep 

sit ting 

a sleep 

sit 

sleep 

Fell. 

fun 

tell 

f un 

tell 

f 

ell 


fell 


Page 84 

Picture Study. Hhve the pupils explain the different 
features of this illustration. It holds a natural appeal for 
little ones. 

New Words. Black, us, ride, gives, Sam, were. 

Thought Question. How does the horse help people? 

Seat Work. Give a mimeographed copy of a horse to each 
pupil and have him color it brown or black. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and a 
(short), ack, hi, h, and r; ( a (short, pages 4, 10, 15, 35, and 
54; ack, page 45; hi, page 28; h, page 7; r, page 7). 

blue 

black 


184 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Separating words : words in words. 


black black 

b lack b 1 ack 

lack b ack 


gives 
give s 
give 


Sam 
S am 
am 


back 


Things to Do. Build the three lines which tell what the 
children said to the horse. 


Page 85 


Conversational Background. A few years ago a number of 
city children went to the country for a picnic. The place 
was near a farmhouse where there were many pigs. After 
reaching the picnic grounds, one of the first things the children 
did was to eat their luncheon. Then they played games to 
their hearts’ content. In the afternoon, the farmer’s wife 
brought them some cookies and milk. As they were finishing 
this meal, the farmer brought to the picnic grounds a fat 
pig. The children did not know what to make of it. So the 
farmer said to them, “ I will give this pig to any one who can 
ride him.” 

This made the children laugh. They had never seen any 
one ride a pig. “ I will ride that pig, sir,” said Tom. The 
farmer held the pig till Tom got on his back. Then the pig 
began to run like the wind, and the children began to shout, 
“ Hold on, Tom ! hold on ! ” 

New Words. Hold, Tom, fat, fall, off, throw. 

Oral Language. Allow the pupils to tell you all they know 
about pigs. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and at, 
all, th, and o (short); {at, page 19; all, page 11; th, pages 
18 and 60; o (short), pages 9 and 42). 


PRIMER—PAGE 86 


185 


cat ball 

sat call 

that calls 

fat fall 

Separating words : words in words. 


hold 

fat 

fall 

throw 

hold 

f at 

fall 

th row 

old 

at 

all 

row 


Things to Do. Draw the outline of a pig from a pattern. 
Page 86 

New Words. Giving , long , hack , horsey , father’s. 

Thought Question. Why do all children like this picture ? 
OraZ Language. Have the pupils tell you about the fun 
they have with their fathers when they come home from work. 
Phonics. Teach z. 

Review the work of the previous day, and n and v ; (n, 
page 22 ; v, page 48). 

Ear Training. 


zoo 

size 

zone 

lazy 

zebra 

zigzag 

zero 



Separating words : words in words. 

horsey 
horse y 
horse 

Word Games : Back , long 
bed Jack 

b ed J ack 
b ack 


look song 

1 ook s ong 
] ong 


back 


long 


186 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Page 87 

Picture Study. Lead the children to know this and other 
pictures of the Holy Family. 

New Words. Goes, evening. Drill the pupils on “ I go,” 
“ You go,” “ He goes.” “ I go, ” “ You go,” “ She goes.” 
“ I go,” “ You go,” “ It goes.” 

When teaching goes, review the phonetic principle given 
for page 73. 

Thought Question. Why is this illustration called the Holy 
F amily ? 

Oral Language. Ask the pupils to memorize the last four 
lines. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ill, 
en, in, s, and y ; (ill, page 30 ; en, page 38; in, page 10 ; s, 
page 2; y, page 1). 

then 

seven 

open 

evening 

Separating words : words in words. 

evening goes 

even ing go es 

even go 

Chart. Jesus, Mary, Joseph, I give you my heart. 

Page 88 

New Words. Lollipop, whole, taught, works. 

Dramatization. This lesson requires seven characters. 
The front of the room is the best place for the play. When 
the performance begins, Rose must have or make believe 


PRIMER—PAGE 89 


187 


she has seven lollipops; she must know the rhyme by heart; 
and she must suit the action to the word. 

Thought Question. Do you know another name for 
lollipop ? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and wh, 
ch, z, andw; (wh, page 23 ; z, page 86; w, page 5). 

Separating words : words in words. 

works - whole 

work s w hole 

work hole 


Page 89 

New Words. Hair, wake, grandfather. Let the pupils 
understand that grandfather is made up of two words, grand 
and father. 

Oral Language. Little children are ever ready to talk about 
their grandfathers. Give them an opportunity to express 
their thoughts on the subject. Let them tell you how good 
and kind grandfather is. 

Seat Work. Make grandfather’s chair with pegs, or draw 
it on paper. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and an, 
ake, and d ; (an, pages 15 and 76 ; ake, page 45 ; d, page 1). 

Separating words : words in words. 


grandfather 


hair 

grand 


h air 

father 


air 

Word Game; Wake. 

warm 

take 


w arm 

t ake 


w 

ake 



wake 


188 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Page 90 


New Words. Grandmother, quite, thank, came, visit, alone, 
well, Anna. 

Reading. Call the attention of the pupils to the fact that 
this lesson is a conversation between Anna and her grand¬ 
mother. It shows the kindness of Anna in coming to see her 
grandmother, and the politeness of her grandmother in 
receiving the little girl with open arms. It is well to 
familiarize children with good manners. 

Thought Question. What time of the year did Anna visit 
her grandmother ? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and and , 
ell, ay, v, and g ; {and, page 10; ell, page 65 ; v, page 48; g, 
page 8; ay, page 17). 


fell hands playing 

well grandmother always 

plays 

pay 

Separating words : words in words. 

grandmother visit 

grand vi sit 

mother sit 

s it 
it 


Word Game : Came . 

cold game 

c old g ame 
c ame 


came 


PRIMER—PAGE 92 


189 


Page 91 

New Words. Pay, where, grandmother, grandmother’s, 
grandfather, grandfather’s, 

Reading. Silent. In this exercise you will notice that the 
questions are a little more difficult than the previous ones. 
The idea is to put more thought into them as the child pro¬ 
gresses. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and wh, 
ack, z, and p ; ( ack, page 45; wh, page 23 ; z, page 86 ; p, 
page 16). 

when 

White 

where 

wh 

Word Game : Pay . 

point say 

p oint s ay 
P ay 

pay 

Page 92 

Conversational Background. I know a dear little boy who 
says he is going to be a carpenter when he becomes a man. 
Already he has a number of tools in his workshop. The 
latest thing he made was a house for birds in winter. This 
little boy says, “ Saint Joseph was a carpenter, and why 
should not I be one?” 

Picture Study. Ask the children to explain the different 
characters in this illustration. It will help them to get the 
thought of the lesson. 

New Words. Also, worked, saint, carpenter, shop, helped, 
things, liked, work. 


190 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Seat Work. Trace or color a saw, hatchet, or any other 
carpenter’s tool. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing, 
er, sh f and h ; (ing, page 1; er, pages 24 and 62 ; sh, page 25; 
h, page 3). 

Separating words : words in words. 


likes 

also 

worked 

carpenter 

shop 

helped 

like s 

al so 

work ed 

car 

s hop 

help ed 

like 

so 

work 

pen 

hop 

help 


Word Game : Things . 

think singing 

th ink sing ing s 

th ing s 

things 

Page 93 

New Words. Drink, milk, noon, strong. 

Thought Question. Why should all children drink milk? 

Oral Language. After the pupils have interpreted the 
illustration, lead children to tell all they know about a cow. 

Purpose. The aim of this lesson is to show that the cow 
gives milk, and that milk gives health. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and all, 
q, m, and n; (all, pages 11 and 85; q, pages 61 and 64; m, 
page 6 ; n, page 22). 

Separating words : words in words. 

drink 
d rink 
rink 


PRIMER —PAGE 94 


191 


Word Game : Strong . 


string 
str ing 
str 


long 

long 

ong 


strong 


Page 94 


Conversational Background. Last summer a little city 
girl was sick. Her mother took her to the country to see if 
she would get better. While the little girl stayed in the 
country, she met a little boy named Frank. He was fat, 
strong, and full of life. He seemed to be running and play¬ 
ing all the time. The little city girl said, “ I wish I were 
fat and strong like Frank.” The next time she met the boy 
she said to him, “ Will you kindly tell me what makes you so 
fat and so strong? 7 ’ “ I shall be pleased to do so,” said 
Frank. “ This is what makes me fat and strong: I play 
outdoors every day,” etc. 

New Words. Fruit, glasses, water, Frank, these. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), a (short), w, and/; (a (short) pages 4, 10, 15, 35, and 
54; e (final), pages 43 and 73 ; w, page 5 ; /, page 9). 


basket 

rabbit 


flag 


Sam 

fat 

thank 


American 

hands 


Anna 

grandmother 


Separating words : words in words. 


Frank 
F rank 
rank 


glasses 
glass es 
glass 


192 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Word Game: Frank. 


Fr ed 
Fr ed 
Fr 


thank 
th ank 


ank 


Frank 


Page 95 


New Words. Kept, should. 

Thought Question. Why do all children want to be strong ? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and sh, 
ack, ell, k, and r ; (sh, pages 25 and 61; ack, page 45; ell, 
pages 65 and 90 ; k, page 28 ; r, page 7). 

Things to Do. Place on the board a health poster, and 
call upon the pupils to explain it. Let the pupils make a 
health poster. 


Page 96 


New Words. Ever, daytime. 

Reading. Silent. This silent reading exercise repeats 
the thoughts of the previous lessons and goes more into de¬ 
tail in some matters. The chief idea is to get the pupils to 
think about the lessons placed before them. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ch, 
ill, x, h, and l ; (ch, pages 1 and 48; ill, page 30; x, page 71; 
h, page 7 ; l, page 4). 

Separating words : words in words. 


daytime 

day 


time 


Word Game: Ever. 


never 


n ever 


ever 


PRIMER—PAGE 98 


193 


Page 97 

Conversational Background. This lesson tells about two 
brothers; one was big and the other was little. The big 
brother always took care of his little brother and helped him 
in every way. The little brother said one day, “ I should 
like to be very happy .’’ “ Very well,” said the big brother, 

“ I will tell you how to be happy.” “ I love you well, my 
little brother,” etc. 

New Words. Fond, let, ought, use, think. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and i 
(short), in, s, and t; (i (short), pages 1, 18, 56, and 74; in, 
page 10; s, page 2; t, page 6). 


American 

visit 

give 

things 

bring 

milk 

tick 

drink 

gives 

think 

giving 



Word Games: 

Fond, 

let. 



far 

on 

and 

lay 

pet 

f ar 

o n 

a nd 

1 ay 

p et 

f 

o 

fond 

nd 

1 

et 

let 


Page 98 

Picture Study. Question the children about the different 
parts of the building and the persons who are about to enter. 
Lead them to see the real purpose of the church. 

New Words. Catholic, pray. 

Thought Questions. Do you go to church ? When do you 
go to church? With whom do you go.to church? Do you 


194 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


like to go? Why do you go to church? What is the name 
of your church? On what street is it? Is it a wooden 
church ? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ay, 
th, un, c, and r ; {ay, pages 17 and 90 ; th, pages 18 and 60 ; 
un, pages 7 and 70 ; c, page 15 ; r, page 7). 

Word Game : pray . 

prayers 
pray ers 
pray 

Page 99 

New Words. Samuel, saying, praying, friends, hears, 
prays. Ask the pupils to form such words as pray, prays, 
prayer, prayed, look, looks, looking, looked, etc. 

Thought Question. Why do we pray ? 

Oral Language. Let the pupils give you their ideas about 
prayer. Allow them to tell you why we pray every morn¬ 
ing and night, before and after meals, when they go to 
church, etc. Their ideas may be very simple. Be satisfied 
as long as they are correct. Memorize ; 

I pray in the morning, 

I pray in the night. 

I ask the dear Jesus 
To teach me the right. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing, 
p, and y ; {ing, page 1 ; p, page 16 ; y, page 1). 

Separating words : words in words. 


Samuel 

saying 

praying 

friends 

hears 

Sam uel 

say ing 

pray ing 

fri end s 

h ears 

Sam 

say 

pray 

end 

ear s 


ear 


PRIMER—PAGE 101 


195 


When teaching hear, review the phonetic principle given 
for page 73. 

Chart. Samuel always says his prayers. 

Page 100 

New Words. Pussy, coat, so, hurt, harm, tail, pull, or, 
drive, gently, don’t, no. 

Reading. Have the children memorize this poem before 
you ask them to read it at sight. 

Thought Question . Who can tell another name for cat ? 

Oral Language. By questions, lead the children to de¬ 
scribe a cat. Bring out especially her warm coat and her 
bushy tail. Finally lead up to saying that we should be kind 
to the cat. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ook, 
z, g, and n ; {ook, page 44; z, page 86 ; g, page 8; n, page 22). 


Separating words: 

words in words. 


pussy 


coat 

harm 

puss y 


c oat 

h arm 

puss 


oat 

arm 

Word Games: So, 

no. 



saw 

go 

nest 

so 

s aw 

g 0 

n est 

s 0 

s 

0 

n 

0 

so 


no 



Pages 101-102 

Picture Study. Let the pupils explain the different features 
of this illustration. Bring out the child’s love for a cat as 
well as the kindly spirit of the old gentleman with the basket 
of cats. 


196 


TEACHERS* MANUAL 


New Words. Had, which, oh, them, any, man, cats. 

Things to Do. Let the children make pin wheels and blow 
them as an exercise to fix wh. 

Phonics. Page 101. 

Review the work of the previous day, and an, wh, ch, and 
at; (an, page 15; wh, page 23; ch, pages 1 and 48; at, 
pages 19 and 85). 

Anna 

man 

Separating words : words in words. 


man 

cats 

many 

m an 

cat s 

m any 

an 

cat 

any 


Phonics. Page 102. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ack, en, x, d, 
and r; (ack, page 45 ; en, pages 38 and 87; x, page 71; d 
page 1; r, page 7). 

Page 103 

Picture Study. From where did these fish come ? Do the 
boys like the fish? Why does the little boy look so fright¬ 
ened? 

New Words. Catching, fishes, alive, why, because, bit, bite, 
finger, right. 

Language Lesson. Ask the children if they ever went 
fishing and let them relate their experiences. 

Game. “ Now we are going fishing. ” Have drawn on 
the blackboard a number of fish. On each fish have printed 
in colored chalk, difficult words, or the new words of the 
reading lesson. See who can catch all the fish, using the 
pointer for a fishing rod. Those who fail to recognize the 
word, are bitten by the fish. 


PRIMER—PAGE 104 


197 


Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), er, v, and wh; (e (final), pages 43 and 73 ; er, pages 
24 and 62 ; wh, pages 23 and 91; v, page 48). 

Separating words : words in words. 


catching 

fishes 

alive 

because 


catch ing 

fish es 

a live 

be 


catch 

fish 

live 

cause 


Word Games: 

Why, bite, right. 



where sky 

ball 

white run 

high 

get 

wh ere sk y 

ball 

wh ite r un 

high 

get 

wh y 

b 

ite r 

igh 

t 

why 

bite 

right 



Pages 104-105 

New Words. Wish, would, care, goats, takes. 

Thought Question. Of what use is the goat ? 

Oral Language. Ask the children to describe the three 
characters in this lesson. Do not expect very much from 
them in the beginning. The power of description will come 
through practice. 

Phonics. Page 104. 

Review the work of the previous day, and sh, in, s, and w; 
(sh, pages 25 and 61; in, page 10; s, page 2; w, page 5). 
share 
shop 
should 
fishes 
wish 

dog wish 

d og w ish 
d ish 

dish 


Word Game: Dish. 


198 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Phonics. Page 105. 

Review the work of the previous day, and all, ell, k, and t ; 
(aZ£, pages 11 and 85; ell, page 65; &, page 28; page 6). 
Word Games : Takes , care. 

take s call share 

takes c all sh are 

c are 

care 


Page 106 

Review. Through this lesson we can readily portray to the 
children the providence of God in taking care of all His 
creatures, animate and inanimate. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and an , 
and, q, h, and y; (an, pages 15, 76, and 101; and, pages 10 
and 90 ; q, pages 61 and 64; b, page 7; y, page 1). 

Page 107 

Picture Study. Name the birds. Which is Jack? Which 
is Jill? 

New Words. Blackbirds, hill, Jill, fly. 

Thought Question. Why are these birds called blackbirds ? 

Oral Language. Conversation about birds. 

Seat Work. Make a bird poster. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ill, 
ack,f, andj; (ill, page 30; ack, page 45 ; /, page 9 ; j, page 4). 


till 

black 

hill 

back 

Jill 

blackbird 


PRIMER—PAGE 108 


199 


Separating words : words in words. 


blackbirds 

black 


Jill 

Jill 

ill 


birds 
bird s 
bird 


Word Games : Blackbirds, hill, Jill. 
black bird s he will 

blackbirds he w ill 

h ill 

hill 


Jack 
J ack 
J 


Jill 


will 
w ill 
ill 


Pages 108-110 


Conversational Background. You know, dear little ones, 
when children are good, Santa always remembers them at 
Christmas. Now little John had been a good boy and he 
felt sure that Santa would not forget him. Like many other 
little children, he hung up his stocking. Because little 
John was so anxious to see Santa himself, mother told him 
he might sit up and watch. It took such a long, long time 
for Santa to come, that little John fell asleep. When he 
awoke in the morning he saw all the pretty things Santa had 
brought him. 

Picture Study. Study the picture. Draw the attention of 
the children to the cheerful and happy face of Santa. 

New Words. Last, Santa Claus, got, wished, sleepy, left, 
cake, brought, gone, picture, book, skates, watch, lollipops. 

Develop the lesson on the blackboard. What are the things 
John did? Print these on the blackboard : 


He sat up for Santa Claus. 

He wished to see Santa Claus. 
He got very sleepy. 


200 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


He had to go to bed. 

He left some cake for Santa. 

Erase He and substitute I. 

Develop the second part of the lesson in this way. Print 
on the blackboard : 

Santa brought baby a pretty doll. 

He brought Sue a jumping-jack. 

He brought Sally a picture book. 

He brought toys for little Fred. 

He brought Anna some lollipops. 

He brought skates for Marie. 

He brought ice cream for father. 

Santa brought a watch for me. 

Who can point to “ a picture book,” “ ice cream,” etc. 
— taking different phrases until they are familiar with the 
lesson. 

Dramatization. Have the lesson played in this way: The 
teacher says, “ Children, it is time to go to bed. Santa 
will come to-night.” 

Children say, “ Oh, we wish to see him. May we stay up ? ” 

Teacher, “ Yes, surely, my little ones.” 

Time seems long. One after the other falls asleep. After 
a short pause, the teacher says, “ Children, wake up, Santa 
has been here.” 

Oral Language. The children tell all the imaginary things 
they saw in their dreams. 

Seat Work. Mimeograph copies of Santa, horns, drums, 
and other Christmas toys and have the children color, cut, 
and mount them. 

. If this lesson is studied during the Christmas season, have 
the children bring little musical toys and form an orchestra. 
Rhythm can be taught very effectively in this way. 


PRIMER—PAGE 110 


201 


Phonics . Page 108. 

Review the work of the previous day, and e (short), ake, 
l , and w; (e (short), page 17; ake, page 65; l, page 4; w, 
page 5). 


nest 

red 

make 

Fred 

get 

makes 

ten 

fell 

wake 

eleven 

well 

cake 

twelve 

let 


best 

left 



Separating words : words in words. 


wished 
wish ed 
wish 

Word Game: Got. 


sleepy 
sleep y 
sleep 


goat lots 

g oat 1 ot s 
g ot 

got 


Phonics. Page 109. 

Review the work of the previous day, and at, un, and d; 
(at, pages 19 and 85 ; un, pages 7 and 70; d, page 1). 
Separating words : words in words. 


brought 
br ought 
ought 
b ought 
bought 


Phonics. Page 110. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ch, o (short), 
x, and p ; (o (short), pages 9, 42, and 80; ch, pages 1 and 48; 
x, page 71; p, page 16). 


202 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


child 

each 

chairs 

cheers 

which 

catching 

watch 

Separating words : words in words. 

skates 
skate s 
skate 


Word Game: Book. 

bite look 

b ite 1 ook 
b ook 

book 

Page 111 

Picture Study. What is the little boy doing? Who can 
guess his name? Where is he sitting? What is before him 
on the table ? What did he pull out of his pie ? 

New Words. Point out similarity in Horner and corner. 
Teach eating. Stress the initial sounds of these words: 
pie, put, plum. Contrast thumb and plum. Horner, corner, 
eating, pie, put, thumb, plum, pulled. 

Develop the lesson on the blackboard by teaching rhyming 
sounds — Horner, corner, plum, thumb, I, pie. 

Reading. After the selection has been memorized, have 
each child read the lesson. 

Oral Language. Have children tell the story in their own 
words. 


PRIMER—PAGE 112 


203 


Seat Work. Arrange splints in a circle on the desk to 
represent a pie. Supply each child with a plum cut from 
colored paper. Now have each child play Jack Horner, 
pull out the plum and say, “ What a big boy am I 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing, 
er, th, and c; (ing, pages 1 and 79; er, pages 24 and 62; th, 
pages 18 and 60; c, page 15). 


nev^r 

without 

mother’s 

mother’s 

carpenter 

throw 

finger 

father’s 

Horner 

things 

corner 

these 


think 


Catholic 


thumb 


Separating words : words in words. 


Horner 

corner 


eating 


pulled 

Horn er 

corn er 


eating 


pull ed 

Horn 

corn 


eat 


pull 

Word Games: 

Horner, pie, plum. 



pull tie 

hat 

corn 

her 

play 

drum 

p ull t ie 

h at 

c orn 

h er 

pi ay 

dr um 

p ie 

h 

orn 

er 

pl 

um 

pie 


Horner 



plum 


Page 112 

Conversational Background. Little Rose received a dear 
little white rabbit for a birthday gift. Rose enjoyed playing 
with it. The little rabbit was very timid. He was afraid 
of big Rover, Rose’s dog, and he was even afraid of pussy. 
He ran away from them into the barn. 


204 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Picture Study. Whose yard is this? See Rose’s pet. 
Bunny is running into the barn. See Rover and the cat look¬ 
ing at Bunny. 

New Words. From, barn, afraid, runs, sleeps. 

“ From ” Gqme. Teach the word from by playing this 
game. The teacher calls John to take a book from her, say¬ 
ing, “ John, take this from me.” Then to the children, 
“ What did John do ? ” Ans. “ He took the book from you.” 
The teacher prints from at the blackboard each time it is used. 
Continue the game with several children until the meaning 
of from is understood and the word has been sufficiently 
visualized by each pupil. 

“ Into ” Game. Imagine the space behind the teacher’s 
desk to be the barn. Let the children by turns run like little 
rabbits into the barn, saying as each one does so, “ Where did 
Mary go ? ”' Ans. 11 Into the barn.” 

Develop the lesson on the blackboard. Print these phrases 
and have the children find them in the reading lesson: 
“ Rose is playing; to play; does not like Rover; does not 
like the cat; is afraid ; runs away from them; runs into the 
barn.” 

Reading. Read the lesson for the children before calling 
upon them to read. Have the children read each thought 
silently first and then repeat the entire thought. Allow no 
word for word repetition. 

Thought Question. Which animal do you like best — the 
rabbit, the dog, or the cat ? Why ? 

Oral Language. Lead the children to talk about their pets. 

Seat Work. Draw the barn into which the rabbit ran. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and r, 
v, and z; (r, page 7; v, page 48; z, page 86). 

Separating words : words in words. 


205 


PRIMER—PAGE 113 


runs sleeps 

run s sleep s 

run sleep 

Word Game: Barn. 

baby are an 

b aby ar e an 

b ar n 

barn 


Page 113 

Conversational Background. Once upon a time there was 
a family of happy little rabbits living in the woods. There 
were Mr. Jack Rabbit, the father; Mrs. Bobtail Rabbit, the 
mother; and ten little baby rabbits. One fine sunny day 
Father Rabbit took them out of doors to show them how to 
run fast when pussy or Rover, the dog, would chase them. 
He had put them all in a straight line and told them to wait 
until he would say “ Ready/’ when unexpectedly one little 
rabbit who was not listening, started before the others, 
tripped over a stone and rolled down a hill, leaving nine little 
rabbits. 

Then Mr. Jack Rabbit saw that nine were left. He said, 
“ Let us play the game of ‘jumping.’ ” All the little rabbits 
shook their bobtails to show how pleased they were. They 
climbed up on the gate and were just ready to jump off, 
when one little rabbit looked up to the apple tree and saw 
a large red apple over his head. He reached to get it, but 
leaned over too far and tumbled off the gate, leaving eight 
little rabbits sitting there. 

New Words. Line, jumped, rabbit. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and achy 


206 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


en , q, x , and j ; (ac&, pages 45 and 107; en, pages 38 and 87; 
q, pages 61 and 64; x, page 71; j , page 4). 

Separating words : words in words. 


jumped 
jump ed 
jump 


rabbits 
rab bit s 


bit 


Page 114 


Conversational Background. When Mother Rabbit heard 
what had happened to her two little rabbits, she called the 
eight rabbits to her and told them to sit still in the bushes 
until dinner was ready. They sat very still, looking up to 
the sky and sun for a long time, and were the best little 
rabbits you ever saw. Suddenly one poor little bunny took 
very sick and had to be put to bed, so that seven little rabbits 
were left looking up to heaven. 

The next morning Mother Rabbit was very busy, so she 
told the seven little rabbits to play near the house. They 
played tag, peek-a-boo, rolling ball, and were up to all kinds 
of tricks. While they were playing one skipped off and then 
were only six little rabbits left playing near the house. 

New Words. Heaven, tricks, skipped, looking. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ick, 
ook, s, and t; {ick, page 57; ook, page 44; s, page 2; t , page 
6 ). 


trick 

tricks 


Separating words : words in words. 


looking 
look ing 
look 


skipped 
skip ped 
skip 


PRIMER—PAGE 115 


207 


Word Game: Tricks. 


tree 
tr ee 
tr 


sticks 
st icks 
icks 


tricks 


Page 115 


Conversational Background. One day Mr. Jack Rabbit 
said he was going for a long walk through the woods. He 
asked who would like to go with him. Six little bunnies 
jumped up and down. They were so glad to go. On the 
way they helped themselves to some nice lettuce and carrots 
which they found in a garden. Then they ran about in the 
woods, and what do you think they saw ? A great big bee¬ 
hive filled with bees. One little rabbit began to tease the 
bees and he got stung. Then five little rabbits had to 
carry him home. 

A few days after the long walk, Mother Rabbit took the 
five best rabbits on a picnic. Oh, what a wonderful time 
they had hopping here and there, jumping up and down, and 
chasing one another. The little rabbits saw an open door and 
thought it would be great fun to have a swing. They sat 
upon the door and were having a fine swing when one little 
bunny, swinging too high, fell to the ground. That left four 
little rabbits swinging on a door. 

New Words. Hive, swinging, hopped. . 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), and h ; (e (final), pages 43 and 73 ; h, page 3). 

Rose quite drive cake 

ride came bite hive 

wake these care 


208 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Separating words : words in words. 


swinging 
swing ing 
swing 


hopped 
hop ped 
hop 


Page 116 


Conversational Background. The day after the picnic, 
the four little rabbits were so tired that they thought they 
would stay around home in the woods. They crept into the 
bushes and were having a quiet rest, when some men came 
along with their guns hunting for rabbits. They said, 
“ Surely there must be rabbits in these woods. Let us see if 
we can catch any.” The little rabbits shook with fright and 
wondered how they would get away without being caught. 
Just as they were creeping along very quietly, off went the 
gun, and the rabbits ran as fast as they could, but one little 
bunny fainted from fright. Then three little rabbits carried 
him home. 

The next day was very hot, so three little rabbits said they 
were going to look for a cool spot. In the yard they saw a 
tub with a little canoe in it. Oh, how happy they were! 
They hopped into it and thought what a nice ride they would 
have, but no one knew how to paddle the canoe. They 
pushed it this way and that way, when all of a sudden one 
fell out and was drowned, leaving two little rabbits running 
all the way home to tell their mother what had happened. 

New Words. Could, canoe, fainted. When teaching fainted, 
review the phonetic principle given for page 73. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and i 
(short), ell, and y; (i (short), pages 1, 18, 56, 74, and 97; 
ell, pages 33 and 90; y, page 1). 


PRIMER—PAGE 117 


209 


saying 

lollipops 

praying 

eating 

fishes 

rabbits 

wish 

looking 

hill 

tricks 

Jill 

skipped 

wished 

swinging 

picture 

hid 

Separating words : words in words. 

fainted 

canoe 

faint ed 

can oe 

faint 

can 

Word Game: Could. 

coat 

should 

c oat 

sh ould 

c 

ould 


could 


Page 117 

Conversational Background. Now Mother Rabbit was 
very sorry to hear that one of her bunnies fell out of the canoe 
and was drowned. So she hurried to the tub, but could 
not find him. Then she cried and cried. When she came 
home she called the two little bunnies to her and told them to 
sit out on the lawn where she could see them all day. They 
did as their mother told them, but the sun was so hot that 
one was sunstruck, and one was left all alone on the lawn. 

This one little rabbit was left to play all alone. Something 
had happened to every one of his brothers. He felt very 
lonely, but made the best of it when he thought of other little 
rabbits all alone in the woods. So he played very hard, 


210 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


jumping on stumps of trees, hopping over the bushes and 
having much fun. But suddenly he saw a dog, and then 
there was none. 

New Words. Hid, having, none. 

Dramatization. Let ten children take the part of the 
bunnies and act as the story suggests. Or let the ten 
fingers be the rabbits. As the rabbits disappear, the fingers 
are closed in the hand. 

Seat Work. Poster of rabbits. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing, 
all, q, x, z , and n; (ing, pages 1 and 79 ; all, pages 11 and 85 ; 
q, pages 61 and 64 ; x, page 71 ; z, page 86 ; n, page 22). 


sitting 

giving 

evening 

things 

saying 

praying 


looking 

swinging 

having 


catching 


finger 


Separating words : words in words. 


none 
n one 
one 


Word Game: Hid. 


him did 

h im d id 
h id 

hid 


Page 118 


Thought Question. Who likes Sunday best ? Why ? 
New Word. O’clock. 


PRIMER—PAGE 119 


211 


Language Lesson. Tell what you do on Sunday. Where 
do you go every Sunday ? Does father work ? 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and a 
(short), an, k ; (a (short), pages 4, 10, 15, 35, 54, and 94; 
an, pages 15, 76, and 101; k, page 28). 

Separating words : words in words. 

o’clock 
o’c lock 
lock 

Page 119 

New Word. Monday. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and wh, 
in, d, and m ; (wh, page 23 ; in, page 10; d, page 1; m, page 
6 ). 

Separating words : words in words. 

Monday 
Mon day 
day 

Word Game: Monday. 

money day 

mon ey day 

mon day 

Monday 

Page 120 

Picture Study. Where are these children ? What are 
they doing? What is the teacher doing? Why do they all 
look happy ? 

New Words. Tuesday, new, read. When teaching Tues¬ 
day, review the phonetic principle given for page 73. 


212 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Game on “ ue ” in word Tuesday. Print the letters of the 
word Tuesday in large type on cards, printing u and e in red. 
Give them to seven children. Let the children holding u and 
e clasp hands. Ask the children, “ Who comes first, Mary or 
Anna?” “ Why is Mary before Anna? ” Ans. “ Because 
she holds the letter u” Let other little ones take the places 
of Mary and Anna. Let each tell who should be first and 
why. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(short), ill, n, and t; (e (short), pages 17, 44, and 108; ill, 
pages 30 and 107 ; n, page 22 ; t, page 6). 

Separating words : words in words. 

Tuesday 
Tues day 
day 

Page 121 

New Word. Wednesday. Teach Wednesday in the same 
manner as Tuesday was taught or in some other way to 
impress Wednesday. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and sh, 
un, q, p, and s; (sh, page 25; un, pages 7 and 70; q, pages 
61 and 64 ; p, page 16; w, page 5.) 

Separating words : words in words. 

Wednesday 
Wednes day 
day 

Page 122 

Picture Study. Talk about the picture. Language lesson. 

New Words. Thursday, comes. 


PRIMER—PAGE 124 


213 


Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ch, 
en, z, and /; (ch, page 1; en, pages 38 and 87; z, page 86; /, 
page 9). 

Separating words : words in words. 

Thursday comes 

Thurs day come s 

day come 

Page 123 

New Words. Friday, meat. 

Thought Question. Why do we eat no meat on Friday? 

Language Lesson. This lesson gives an opportunity to 
correlate our religious practice of abstinence. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and at, 
and, v, and y ; (and, pages 10 and 90; at, pages 19 and 85; 
v , page 48; y, pagel). 

Separating words : words in words. 

Friday meat 

Fri day m eat 

day eat 

Page 124 

Oral Language. Let children tell how they help mother 
at home on Saturday. 

New Words. Saturday, busy. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ack, 
and s; (ack, page 45 ; s, page 2). 

Separating words : words in words. 

Saturday 

Satur day 
day 


214 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


These stanzas can be taught to the tune of “ The Mulberry 
Bush.” 


Pages 118-124 


Dramatization. Divide the class into seven groups. Have 
each group represent a day of the week. Bring out the indi¬ 
viduality of children by allowing them to suggest the action 
to suit the work of each day. 


Page 125 


In this lesson instill the spirit of gratitude into the children. 
Make it practical in their everyday intercourse and action, 
not allowing a single instance to pass without making the 
child say, “Please” and “Thank you,” in an audible tone. 

Language Lesson. Tell the story you like best in the 
whole book. What pictures pleased you most? Have you 
any pictures at home like the pictures in the book? Name 
them. 

New Words. Made, games, better, given, lots. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(final), o (short), er, l, and m; (e (final), page 43; o (short), 
pages 9, 42, and 80; er, pages 24, 62, and 111; l, page 4; 
m, page 6). 


Tom 


shop 

lollipops 

lots 


Separating words : words in words. 


games 
game s 
game 


given 
give n 
give 


lots 
lot s 
lot 


VI 


THE FIRST READER WORK OUTLINED 

Page 1 

Conversational Background. Teacher with a new book in 
her hand : “I am new. These are my covers. These are 
my leaves. This is my back. I have beautiful pictures. 
I shall tell you interesting stories. I shall sing sweet songs 
to you. I shall teach you how to play wonderful new games. 
Would you like to have me? 77 

Picture. Lead the children to interpret the picture. What 
have these children? Why do they seem so happy? Do 
they like to read stories ? 

New Words. Stories, reading. Have the children use 
these words in contextual phrases. 

Phonics. Teach ea. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ook. 

Review the Rule — When two vowels come together, only the 
first one “ talks,” and tells its own name. 


each 

eat 

r ea d ing 

look 

ea ch 

ea t 

reading 

looked 

ea 

ea 


looking 

book 

took 

ook 


Separating words : words in words. 

reading 

read 

215 


216 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Problem. Let us count all the beautiful things we shall 
find in this new book. 

Seat Work. Make a book. Have the children fold a 
paper, making two leaves. Have them bring pictures cut 
from magazines to paste in their new book; and copy two 
or three sentences, using the new words. 

Pages 2-5 

Picture. Let the children examine the picture. What 
has the man ? What colors are they ? Why are the 
children running to the man? Suggest names for these 
children. 

New Words. Balloon, glad, buy, coming, afternoon, color, 
gave, ones, began, asked. See how many times you can find 
balloon, glad, buy, coming, in the lesson or on the blackboard. 

A device for drill on the new words: Draw with different 
colored chalk on the blackboard a bunch of balloons. Print 
a new word in each balloon. “ See how many balloons you 
can blow up without bursting any. If you fail on a word, 
you burst the balloon.’ 7 

Dramatization. Let one of the larger boys be the balloon 
man and other children take the parts of the children in the 
story. Play the story. 

Phonics. Teach ear, oo (long), and e (long). 

Review the work of the previous day, and an, a (short), 
and e (final). 


d ear 

r oom 


too 

h e 

man 

dear 

room 


t 00 

w e 

ban 

ear 

00 


00 

se e 

can 

fear 




b e 

Dan 

gear 


balloon 


b e fore 

fan 

hear 


ball oo n 


b e gun 

pan 


FIRST READER—PAGE 6 


217 


near 

rear 


m an 
r an 
cat 
canoe 
r abbit 
a 


oo 

m oon 
s oo n 
c oon 


b e gan ran 
tan 
began 


made 

make 

gave 


Separating words : words in words. 


afternoon ones 

began 

asked 

after noon one 

be 

ask 

Word Game: Glad. 

glasses 

had 


gl asses 

h ad 


gl 

ad 



glad 


Seat Work. Have a number of circles mimeographed. 
Let the children color them. Be sure they color with a 
uniform stroke, moving the crayon in one direction only. 
This exercise develops muscular motor power for penmanship. 
(Caution to the children.) “ Do not go outside the ring, or 
your balloon will burst.’’ 


Page 6 

Picture Study. Have the pupils guess what the children 
in the picture were talking about when the little girl’s mother 
appeared on the scene. 

Conversational Background. Tell the children a simple 
story about Le Brun’s “ Mother and Daughter,” or about 
Anna and her son Samuel, as narrated in the Sacred Scrip¬ 
tures. 


218 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Oral Language. The previous exercises stress impression; 
this exercise stresses expression. Have a number of pictures 
of a mother and her children. Allow each child to examine 
them. Then ask questions like the following: “ Who got 
you ready for school ? What did your mother have to do to 
get you ready ? Did she have to use soap and water ? What 
did she do with the brush and the comb ? Who cooked your 
breakfast? Who served the breakfast ? Who cares for you 
when you are sick? Who kisses you when you cry? Who 
taught you to pray ? Who took you to church ? Who buys 
good things for you ? Who is always glad to see you ? Who 
loves you with all her heart? ” 

Dramatization. Select a large girl to be the mother and a 
number of smaller pupils to be the children. Tell them that 
you want them to play mother and children. Do not tell 
them what to do. Let them think the thing out for them¬ 
selves. Praise the slightest effort on the part of a pupil. 

New Words. Street, meet, smile, here. Introduce them in 
context. Drill upon them separately. 

Reading from the Booh. After the foregoing preparation, 
the average pupil will find little difficulty in reading the sen¬ 
tences from the book. Pay special attention to phrasing. 

Phonics. Teach i (long) and ee. Review the work of the 
previous day, and er, ir, and e (final). 


alive 

bite 

Friday 

smile 

al i ve 
i 

keep 

b i te 
i 

sleep 

Fr i day 

sm i le 

street 

meet 

k ee p 

si ee p 

str ee t 

m ee t 

ee 

ee 

ee 

ee 

mother 

girl 

smile 

(rule) 


her bird mile 


FIRST READER—PAGE 7 


219 


another 

sir 

like 

better 

ir 

bite 

brother 

fir 

five 

er 

stir 

hive 



live 


Words in words. 

smile 

mile 

Word Game: Meet. 

made street 

m ade str eet 
m eet 

meet 

Page 7 

Conversational Background. One day the boys of our school 
had a game of ball in the school yard. Our boys won the 
game, and they were very happy. One boy saw his father 
coming. He told the other boys many nice things about 
his father. What do you think he said? 

Picture Study. Lead the children to notice the interesting 
features of the picture: the happy look of the speaker, the 
interesting look of the listeners, etc. 

Oral Language. Allow the children to tell you about their 
fathers. This is a subject dear to the heart of every child. 

Dramatization. Choose one of the largest boys to be the 
father and a number of the smaller boys to be the children. 
Then have them play the lesson. 

Testing for Thought. This exercise consists in having the 
pupils answer a number of questions that bring out the 
thought of the text. Let the questions be simple and direct. 

Do not indulge in puzzles or guessing games. 


220 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


New Word. Hard. 

Reading from the Blackboard. When the sentences of the 
lesson are on the blackboard, number them. Have the pupils 
come to the teacher’s desk, draw a number, and read the cor¬ 
responding sentence. Or, let one pupil point to a sentence 
and have another read it. First-grade children like novelty 
and variety. 

Correlation. It is well to speak to the children occasionally 
about the proper care of books. Make sure that they know 
how to hold the book. From the start insist on correct 
habits. 

Project. Let us play a game of baseball in reading, and 
keep the score. Every pupil that reads well scores a “ home 
run.” 

Seat Work. Draw a baseball. Color it. Form sentences 
from the Reader with Word Cards or Alphabet Cards. 

Ethical Lesson. That it is polite to listen when another 
speaks, may be suggested to the children. 

Phonics. Teach str. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ing and th. 


string 

stripes 

strong 

struck 

street 

str ing 

str ipes 

str ong 

str uck 

str eet 

str 

str 

str 

str 

str 


looking 


the 



catching 


their 



darling 


them 



eating 


then 



giving 


another 



loving 


brother 



coming 


mother 



ing 


father 





th 



FIRST READER — PAGE 8 


221 


Word Game: Hard. 

harm old 

har m ol d 
har d 

hard 

Page 8 

Picture Study. This simple yet appealing illustration 
brings to the minds of the pupils the fact that the mother is 
the first teacher. She it is who tells them about God and 
the wonderful world which He made. She does all this, 
because she loves her children, and because she wants them 
to know God. With this background presented, the teacher 
might ask the question, “ What is mother in the picture tell¬ 
ing her children?” Direct the answers and questions so 
that the idea that the mother is talking to her children about 
God will be advanced. 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to tell you all they know 
about God. Each narrative will help the other pupils, 
because little children learn many things from one another. 

Dramatization. One of the brightest children should be 
chosen to play the part of the mother. Five or six small pupils 
should act as her children. 

Project. Have in readiness a number of picture books 
of birds, animals, and fish. Use these to develop the thought 
that God made not only the world, but that He made the 
birds, the animals, and the fish. Beware of going too much 
into detail. Children of the first grade are not ready for it. 
They want simple, basal facts. 

New Words. Story, wonderful, world, moon, grow, plants, 
animals. 


222 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Reading from the Board. When the entire lesson is placed 
on the board, ask the pupils to point out what the children said, 
and what the mother said. There should also be a rapid 
drill on the various groups of words. 

Reading from the Book. After the children have read the 
entire lesson, call their attention to the fact that the first word 
of every sentence begins with a large or capital letter. 

Correlation. The teacher should read for the children a 
poem, such as, “ All Things Bright and Beautiful/ 7 by Cecil 
Frances Alexander. 

Seat Work. Have the pupils build the first two or three 
sentences of the lesson. 

Phonics. Teach ow. 

Review the work of the previous day, and un and sh. 


throw 

grow 

ow 

thr ow 

gr ow 

low 

ow 

ow 

mow 



row 



sow 


Sunday 

fishes 

sun 

fish 

fun 

shoe 

run 

shall 

bun 

share 

nun 

she 

pun 

shepherd 

un 

shop 


sh 


Words in words. 

grow plants wonderful 

row ants wonder 


FIRST READER—PAGE 9 


223 


Word Games: Moon, plants. 


man 

balloon 

play 

an 

lots 

m an 

ball oon 

pi ay 

an 

lo ts 

m 

oon 

Pi 

an 

ts 


moon 

Page 9 

plants 



Oral Language. As soon as the illustration has been inter¬ 
preted, give the pupils an opportunity to express their 
thoughts. The teacher should remain in the background, 
merely acting as a prompter and a guide. 

Conversational Background. One evening about nine o’clock 
Mr. White and his little boy knelt down to pray. The little 
boy had heard about God the Father Who made the great 
world in which we live. Just as soon as he went on his knees, 
a question occurred to him. So after blessing himself, he said 
to his father, “ Please excuse me, father. I have a question 
to ask you.” “ What is it, son?” asked the father. “I 
want to know if a little boy like me can thank God the Father 
for all that He has done.” “ To be sure you can,” replied the 
father. “ All you have to do is to say, ‘ Father, I thank You. 
Father, I thank You. Father in Heaven, I thank You, for 
all You have done for me.’ ” 

New Words. Just, done, Lord, question. Teach these 
words in sentences and not as individual words. Use 
simple, meaningful sentences like the following : “ I will pray 
to our dear Lord. The work is done. Dear Lord, I give You 
my heart.” Etc. 

Reading front the Board. Drill especially on the grouping 
of words and the meaning of quotation marks. 

Reading from the Book. As soon as possible, have two 
pupils read the entire lesson. The first pupil asks the 


224 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


question, and the second pupil gives the answer. This is 
taking cognizance of the larger unit of thought. 

Correlation. Find out from the children why all persons 
should thank God. 

Seat Work. Build the last two sentences of the lesson. 
Phonics. Teach oy. 

Review the work of the previous day, and en and ch. 


boy 

oy 

b oy 

toy 

oy 

heaven 

child 

en 

ch 

given 

children 

open 

cheer 

seven 

church 

en 

ch 


Page 10 

Conversational Background. The teacher will first of all 
endeavor to give the pupils a correct notion of Thanksgiving 
Day. She may begin something like this: “ What does a 
boy say when his father gives him a present? Does he not 
say,' Thank you, father ’ ? If some one gave you a ride in his 
auto as you were going home from school, what would you say 
to him? Would you not say, ‘ Thank you, Mr. Brown, for 
the ride’? When you run to the store for your mother, 
what does she say when you return? Does she not say, 
‘ Thank you, Mary 9 ? When your mother buys you a new 
dress or a new suit, do you not say, ‘ Thank you, mother 9 ? 
Every polite pupil makes it a rule to thank each one that 
does anything for him. But who does mor£ than any one 


FIRST READER—PAGE 11 


225 


else for us? Yes; that is right. God does more for us 
than any one else. This is why we have Thanksgiving 
Day. It is a day in which we thank God for all the good 
things He has done for us.” 

New Words. Thanksgiving , turkey , mince , been. 

Oral Language. Lead the pupils to talk about the many 
things that God gives us. This will help them to realize 
why we have Thanksgiving Day. Tell them about the 
Puritans and the Pilgrims. 

Seat Work. Have the pupils make a Thanksgiving poster. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ay. 


day 

lay 

ay 

may 

daytime 

May 

bay 

pay 

gay 

ray 

hay 

stay 

jay 

way 


Words in words. 

Thanksgiving turkey mince 

Thanks Ley in 

giving 

Page 11 

Conversational Background. Tell the children a story of a 
little boy or girl who always said “ Thank you,” for every 
favor received. 

From whom have you ever received a gift ? Did you say 
“ Thank you”? Who gave us the birds? Who can think 
of anything else God gave us? If you are a polite little 
boy or girl, what should you say ? 


226 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Oral Language. Let the children memorize this poem; 
have individual children recite various couplets. Mention 
other words that rhyme with boy. 

New Words. Heavenly, everything, enjoy, starry, train, 
young, flowers, shady, bowers. Much preparatory work 
should be done on the blackboard to help the children 
understand the meaning of new words in this lesson. The 
expressions starry train and shady bowers require special at¬ 
tention. 

Seat Work. Trace stars. Color the outline. Write the 
new words or form them with Alphabet Cards in the star 
outlined. 

Phonics. Teach a (long) and pi. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ee. 


cradle shady 

play 

trees 

cr a die sh a dy 

plays 

sees 

a a 

playing 

keep 


please 

sleep 


plum 

street 


plants 

meet 


Pi 

ee 

Words in words. 

everything enjoy 

starry 

train 

every joy 

star 

rain 

thing 

Word Games : Train, heavenly. 


to rain 

heaven 

gently 

t o rain 

heaven 

gent ly 

t rain 

heaven 

ly 

train 

heavenly 


FIRST READER—PAGE 12 


227 


Page 12 

Picture Study. What kind of room is this? Have you 
ever seen a clock like this? How many numbers on the face 
of the clock? How many hands has the clock? Etc. 

New Words. Neat, schoolroom, stands, its, may, clean, 
bright, ready. Teach new words in contextual phrase or 
sentence on the blackboard. “ How many times can you 
find each new word on the blackboard? ” 

Oral Language. Read to the pupils Cecilia Donnelly’s poem, 
“ The Catecism of the Clock.” Have them make statements 
about what they heard. 

“ Guessing ” Game. I am round. I have numbers on my 
face. I have two hands. What am I? I am large. I 
have many desks. Good children like to come to me. 
What am I ? 

These little guessing games ought to be used frequently. 
They can be used for silent reading. Print the short sen¬ 
tences on the blackboard. Ask the children to give the 
answer or write the answer on the blackboard. Sometimes 
it is possible to draw the answer. 

Seat Work. Have pupils trace circles; write numbers 
from 1 to 12 around the inside of the circle to represent the 
face of the clock. 

Build new words with Alphabet Cards. 

Phonics. Teach ace and ock. 

Review the work of the previous day, and i (short), and. 


face 

ace 

dock 

tock 

clock 

ock 

f ace 

chace 

d ock 

t ock 

cl ock 

cock 

ace 

lace 

ock 

ock 

ock 

lock 


race mock 

rock 


228 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


and 

is 



band 

it 



hand 

its 



land 

little 



sand 

him 



stand 

his 



stands 




Words in words. 




ready neat schoolroom 

stands its 

clean 

bright 

read eat school 

and it 

lean 

right 

room 




Word Games: Neat, stands, may, clean, bright. 


nest eat star 

and s 

me 

pay 

n est eat st ar 

and s 

*m e 

P ay 

n eat st 

and s \ 

m 

ay 

neat stands 


may 

close read no 

brother 

high 

to 

cl ose r ea d no 

br other 

h igh 

t 0 

cl ea n 

br 

igh 

t 

clean 


bright 


Pages 

13-15 



Conversational Background. 

Once upon a time 

, Frank 


and Anna went out for a stroll in the fields. As they walked 
along, they saw a great many interesting things. The wild 
flowers were in bloom, the leaves of the trees were green, and 
the green grass covered the fields. They saw two birds 
on a tree. Anna asked, “Which is the father bird?” 
Frank answered, “ This one is the father bird. That one is 
the mother bird.” “Have they a nest?” asked Anna. 
“ Let us look for the nest,” said Frank. So they looked in 
the tree for the nest. Soon they found it. What do you 


i 


FIRST READER—PAGES 13-15 


229 


think was in the nest? Three little baby birds just as dear 
as could be. 

Group Drill on the Blackboard. The idea of this exercise 
is to make each of the pupils familiar with the different 
groups in the lesson. This practice will increase their eye 
span, and get them accustomed to see groups rather than 
single words. It is important that all teachers should 
realize the necessity of such exercises. 

Let us go for a walk in the fields, on a tree. 

This one is the father bird. 

That one is the mother bird. 

Let us look for the nest. 

They found the nest in the tree. 

They found baby birds in the nest. 

New Words. Fields, found, wanted, opened, wide, mouths, 
cried, cry, flew, spread, wings, over, heard, sang. 

Correlation. Review “ One, two, Buckle my shoe/ 7 to 
recall the numbers to ten. 

Seat Work. From a cut-out or pattern, trace the outline 
of a bird. 

Phonics. Teach ide and o (long). 

Review the work of the previous day, and ake, ing, and ook. 


ride 

ide 

so 

r ide 

hide 

s 0 

ide 

side 

0 


wide 



book 

make 


b oo k 

take 


00 

ake 


good 

bake 


look 

cake 


cook 

fake 


no home cold 

no ho me c o Id 

oo o 

looking 

sing 

coming 

Thanksgiving 

everything 

sitting 


230 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


hook 

lake 

nook 

rake 

took 

sake 


stake 


wake 


ing 

wing s 


Words in words. 

opened spread 

open read 

Word Games: Wanted, wide, mouths, cry, flew, wings, over. 


want bed 

was ride 

mouse 

thumb s 

want b ed 

w as ride 

mou se 

th umb s 

want ed 

w ide 

mou 

th s 

wanted 

wide 

mouths 

cross why 

flag new 

warm sings 

Rover 

cr oss wh y 

fl ag n ew 

w arm s ings 

over 

cr y 

fl ew 

w ings 


cry 

flew 

wings 



Page 16 




Picture Study. Who are in this picture? What is the 
boy’s name ? What is the girl’s name ? What do they want 
to get ? What did Jack do ? What did Jill do ? 

New Words. Pail, broke, crown, tumbling, after. Teach 
words in context, then in sentences elicited from the chil¬ 
dren. Let children match words, find words in various 
places around the room, etc. 

Oral Language. Give words that rhyme with hill and pail. 

Seat Work. Draw a hill. Draw a pail. 

Phonics. Teach et. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ack, and ill. 


231 


FIRST READER—PAGES 17-23 


get 

et 

Jack 

will 

g et 

bet 

back 

till 

et 

jet 

lack 

ill 


let 

Mack 

bill 


met 

pack 

dill 


net 

rack 

fill 


pet 

sack 

gill 


set 

stack 

Jill 

Word Games 

wet 

: Pail, crown. 

tack 

hill 

mill 

pill 

put 

tail 

cradle 

down 

p ut 

t ail 

cr adle 

d own 

P 

ail 

cr 

own 


pail 

crown 


Pages 17-23 

This story contains several units. Each unit may be one 
lesson. 

Picture Study. Lead the children to interpret the pictures. 
This will help them to get the thought of each of the various 
units of the lesson and will serve as an oral language lesson. 

New Words. Once, upon, Gingerbread, lived, woman, side, 
wood, cut, legs, nose, soon, eyes, oven, bake, fast, head, catch, 
something, running, fox, those, river, across, end, ate. 

Seat Work. Draw a Gingerbread Boy. Color him brown. 

Copy three sentences about the Gingerbread Boy from 
the reader or build three sentences with the Alphabet Cards. 

Trace pictures of a cow, a horse, a fox. Color them. 
These may be used for a blackboard border. 

Phonics. Teach ed and st. 


232 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Review the work of the previous day, and an, er, u (short), 


and e (final). 


jumped 

stable 

man upon 

live 

time 

jump ed 

star 

woman u 

live d 

made 

ed 

stop 

ran run 

lived 

bake 

harm ed 

strong 

an run 


came 

opened 

story 

began fun 


take 

picked 

stories 

an sun 


nose 

played 

street 

u 


ate 

pulled 

stands 



e 

walked 

stop 




worked 

st 




ed 





Words in words. 




upon < 

Gingerbread 

woman something 

running 

across 

up 1 

Ginger 

man some 

run 

cross 

on 

bread 

thing 




Word Games: Side, wood , soon, bake, fast, wood, gate. 


stop ride 

well 

good 

sat moon 

be 

cake 

s top ride 

w ell 

g ood 

s at m oon 

be 

c ake 

s ide 

w 

ood 

s oon 

b 

ake 

side 

wood 

soon 

bake 

fun last 


well 

good 

go 

ate 

f un 1 ast 


w ell 

g ood 

go 

ate 

f ast 


w 

ood 

g 

ate 

fast 



wood 

• 

gate 



Page 24 




Picture Study. The interpretation of this picture affords 
splendid opportunities for teaching a valuable lesson in 
religion. 


FIRST READER—PAGE 25 


233 


Thought Questions. Where are the angels? Why does 
God love the children? Does He hear them pray? 

New Words. Dwell, own, listen. Teach word in context. 
Oral Language. Memorize the poem. 

Seat Work. Form with Alphabet or Word Cards, “ Dear 
God I love You. I want to tell You something. Please 
listen to me, dear God.” 

Phonics. Teach gr. 

Review the work of the previous day, and th, hi, and wh. 


great 

they 

black 

where 

gr 

then 

bless 

what 

grace 

that 

blue 

when 

grand 

this 

blow 

which 

grill 

there 

block 

white 


them 



Words in words. 




dwell 




well 



Word Games: 

: Dwell, own. 



do 

well 

grow 

sun 

d o 

well 

gr ow 

su n 

d 

well 

ow 

n 


dwell 

own 



Page 25 

This is a silent reading lesson. The aim of the lesson is to 
test comprehension. Therefore the teacher must stimulate 
thought. Insist that the children express their thoughts 
in short, clear statements. 

New Word. Teacher’s. 


234 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Pages 26-27 

Picture Study. An interpretation of this picture will 
provide the motivation for this lesson and will aid the com¬ 
prehension. In studying the picture, lead the children to use 
the new words of the lesson. 

New Words. Help, Edna, boat, helping, row, candy, lifts, 
air, ceiling. Teach words in context, using phrases contain¬ 
ing the new word. 

Things to Do. Show what grandfather did to Edna. Let 
the children ride dolls on their shoe, toss them up, and catch 
them. 

Silent Reading from the Blackboard. 

1. I am strong. I can row. I love Edna. I play with 

her. Who am I ? 

2. I am large. Grandfather and Edna can ride in me. I 

like the water. What am I ? 

3. I am not very big. I ride in a boat. I like candy and 

ice cream. Grandfather calls me his little angel. 

Who am I ? 

Seat Work. Fold boats from paper. 

Phonics. Teach oo (short). 

Review the work of the previous day, and and, sh, and e 
(short). 


good 

candy 

shoe 

angel 

00 

hand 

shall 

Edna 

book 

and 

she 

seven 

look 

band 

shady 

rest 

took 

sand 

fishes 

pet 

wood 



met 


let 

left 


FIRST READER—PAGE 28 


235 


Words in words. 


candy 

can 


helping 

help 


Word Games: Boat, helping, candy, lift, air. 


be 

goats 

helped 

sing 

can 

ready 

b e 

g oat s 

help ed 

sing 

can 

rea dy 

b 

oat 

help 

ing 

can 

dy 


boat helping candy 


lay if tie air 

1 ay if t ie hair 

1 if t 


lift 


Page 28 

Thought Question. Ask the pupils, “ If you were a birdie, 
what should you do ? ” Get several answers to this question. 
Emphasize the correct one. Proceed in the same way with 
the other questions. This will help the children to get the 
thought of the lesson. 

New Word. Wrong. It should be understood from now 
on that each new word should be taught in context as pre¬ 
viously suggested. 

Dramatization. Select four children to say in a natural 
manner two lines each. Let the first child be the birdie, the 
next the baby, the next the big boy, and the last the angel. 

Seat Work. Cut pictures of babies from magazines, 
newspapers, and catalogs. Paste them on drawing paper. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing 
and ir. 

sing tumbling birdie 

coming mourning bird 


236 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


thanksgiving 

something 

girl 

everything 

praying 

fir 

sitting 

helping 

sir 


Page 29 

Oral Language. When the illustration has been studied 
by the children, they will have many things to say about 
tops. The teacher should have a real top on her desk and 
an outline of one on the board. She should lead the pupils 
to tell what color it is, and what the price is, and what it can 
do — hum, spin, walk, race. 

New Words. Top, spin, Robert. 

Seat Work. Trace the outline of a top and color. 

Phonics. Teach sp. 

Review the work of the previous day, and in and o (short). 


spin 

space 

spin 

tin 

R o bert 

sp 

sped 

into 

win 

hop 

spread 

span 

infant 

thin 

top 

spin 

spat 

bin 

shin 

0 

spot 

spell 

pin 

grin 


spear 

spill 

sin 




Words in words. 

spin 

in 


Word Game: Top. 

tag hop 

t ag h op 
t op 

top 

Note. During recess the teacher should show the children 
how to spin a top. 


FIRST READER—PAGE 30 


237 


Page 30 


Dramatization. Two characters — a gentleman and a 
little boy. Be sure that the questions and answers are given 
in a natural manner. Bear in mind that it is only a conver¬ 
sation. 

The Golden Rule. “ Do unto others, as you would have 
others to do unto you.” Treat others as you would have 
others treat you. See Matthew vii, 12; Luke vi, 31. This 
saying of the Saviour is often called the Golden Rule. 

Oral Language. Have the pupils give examples of kind¬ 
ness and thoughtfulness that have come into their lives. 

New Words. Golden Rule , both, serve , gentleman , means. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, en, and 
e (long). 


golden 

heaven 

given 


he 


me 

we 


oven 

children 


be 


before 

begin 

began 


Words in words. 


gentleman 

gentle 


golden 

gold 


man 


old ten 

old t en 
old en 

golden 


Word Game: Golden. 

get 

get 


238 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Pages 31-32 

Note. This lesson is an explanation of the preceding one. It 
emphasizes a fundamental rule of Christian life — one that is often 
needed by little boys and girls. The practice of this rule will 
help them to overcome the tendency towards selfishness. 


New Words. Far, poor, sick, people, John. 

Correlation. Have the words of the Golden Rule printed 
on a corner of the board. Under this, print the names of the 
boys and the girls who are kind and thoughtful to others. 
Seat Work. Build the Golden Rule. 

Phonics. Teach eep and fr. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ay and ick. 


keep 

from 

eep 

fr 

deep 

Frank 

keep 

fruit 

peep 

Friday 

weep 

Fred 

sheep 

frill 

steep 

fray 

frock 

fret 


day 

sick 

say 

stick 

may 

tick 

praying 

chick 

away 


way 


Monday 



Word Games : Far, sick. 


fell star 

f ell st ar 
f ar 

far 


so dickory 
so d ick ory 
s ick 

sick 


Page 33 


Conversational Background. Many years ago, a number of 
animals had a wonderful party. They were dressed like men 
and women. They looked very funny. They could not 


FIRST READER—PAGES 34-35 


239 


talk, but they said things in their own way. The dog said, 
“ Bow-wow ,” as he looked at the cow. The cow said, 
“ Moo-moo, I want to meet you.” Then the cow and the dog 
shook hands. After this, the cat went to the dog and said, 
“ Me-ow, will you dance with me now? ” The cat and the 
dog danced around the hall. 

This lesson will give an opportunity to draw from the 
children their own experiences with these animals. “ Tricks 
that my Dog Knows,” “ How I Know my Cat Likes Me,” 
“ The Best Cow we Have ” — or other suitable titles will 
lead them to tell interesting happenings. 

Dramatization. Three characters: a dog, a cow, a cat. 
Select three pupils to play the parts. 

New Words. Bow-wow, moo-moo, me-ow. 

Seat Work. From a cut-out, trace a cow, a dog, and a cat. 

Phonics. Teach ow. 

Review the work of the previous day, and all. 


cow bow-wow me-ow ball 

ow ow ow ow all 

how hall 

now call 

plow fall 

tall 


stall 

Pages 34-35 

Testing for Thought. What sentences in the lesson tell 
what Anna said ? What Frank said ? 

Memory Gem. Teach 

Who has seen the wind ? 

Neither I nor you. 

But when the leaves hang trembling 
The wind is passing through. 


— Rossetti 


240 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


New Words. Window, feel, wind, shake, neither, nor, 
leaves, hang, trembling, passing, bow, low, through, seen. 
Phonics. Teach ight and tr. 

Review the work of the previous day, and wh, ook, and bl. 


right 

/ trembling 

what 

look 

trembling 

ight 

tr 

where 

book 

blue 

bight 

tree 

which 

took 

black 

fight 

light 

might 

night 

sight 

tight 

blight 

fright 

tricks 

true 

track 

trace 

white 


bless 


Words in words. 



windows 

passing 

bow-wow 



wind 

pass 

bow 


Word Games: 

Wind, feel, nor, sang, hang, seen. 


was 

in do 

face meet lay 

sat meet 

new 

w as 

in do 

f ace m ee t 1 ay 

s at m ee t 

n ew 

w 

in d 

f ee 1 

s ee 

n 

wind 

feel 

seen 


nest 

or 

sat rang 

help 

sang 

n est 

or 

s at r ang 

h elp 

s ang 

n 

or 

s ang 

h 

ang 

nor 

sang 

hang 



Page 36 




This is a silent reading lesson. Vary the method as follows: 
tell the children to read each sentence, then to select any one 
and when called upon to do what it says. Have others tell 


FIRST READER—PAGES 37-41 


241 


the number of the sentence chosen by the child performing 
the action. 

New Word. Week. 

Word Games : Shake, week. 


she 

take 

was 

meet 

kept 

sh e 

t ake 

w as 

m ee t 

k ept 

sh 

ake 

w 

ee 

k 

shake 


week 



Pages 37-41 


Picture Study. Have the children interpret each picture 
to motivate the lesson and serve as a preparation for each 
lesson unit that follows. Each unit of the story will furnish 
sufficient matter for one lesson. 

New Words. Lion, thought, woke, along, caught, kill, 
laughed, tiny, king, seem, funny, life, tried, roar, net, roared, 
show, cutting, teeth, able. 

Blackboard Work. Drill on phrases. 


Once upon a time, 
a great big lion, 
up the lion’s back, 
up the lion’s head, 
a tiny thing, 
the king of the animals, 


from my heart, 
your friend for life, 
in a net, 
again and again, 
as fast as she could, 
a very good friend, etc. 


Dramatization. Let the pupils dramatize the story. 

Oral Language. Tell the children to make up stories about 
the lion, the mouse, and the net. Do not require more than 
three sentences. 

Seat Work. Trace a lion and a mouse. Color them. Copy 
three sentences about each; or, build three sentences about 
each with Word Cards or Alphabet Cards. 


242 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ack, 
ill y i (short), a (long), and e (final). 


able 

time 

back 

hill 

big 

baby 

life 

Jack 

Jill 

little 

cake 

gate 

lack 

will 

hill 

face 

use 

Mack 

still 

will 

lay 

rose 

pack 

chill 

him 

name 

(apply rule) 

rack 

grill 

string 

wake 


sack 

frill 

thing 



tack 


animals 



black 


it 



shack 





whack 





stack 





track 



Phonics. 

Words in words. 




funny 

roared cutting 

along 

kill 

laughed 

fun 

roar cut 

long 

ill 

laugh 


roar 

stable 




oar able 


like on 
li ke on 
li on 
lion 

so week my she windows 
soweekmy she wind ow s 
sh ow 


keep 

will 

near 

pet 

k eep 

w ill 

n ear 

p et 

k 


ill 

n 

et 


kill 


net 

till 

see 

three 

keep 

sing 

till 

s ee 

th ree 

k eep 

s ing 

t 

ee 

th 

k 

ing 


teeth kipg 


Word Games : Lion, tiny, kill, seem, net, show, teeth, king. 

to line many 
to 1 i ne ma ny 
t i ny 

tiny 


s 


ee m 
seem 


show 


FIRST READER—PAGES 42-43 


243 


Pages 42-43 


Conversational Background. Many years ago, there lived 
in a far-away country a wonderful family. There were only 
three persons in this family : the father, the mother, and the 
Baby. The father’s name was Joseph, the Mother’s name was 
Mary, and the Baby’s name was Jesus. Joseph was holy, 
the Virgin Mary was holy, and the Baby Jesus was holy. 
So Joseph, Mary, and Jesus are called the Holy Family. 

Oral Language. Let the pupils tell you all they know about 
the Holy Family. 

New Words. Holy, family, blessed, loving. 

Group Drill. Call attention to the different phrases in this 
lesson, and have the pupils strive for instantaneous recog¬ 
nition. 

Seat Work. Build “ Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you 
with all my heart.” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and in, 
bl, and o (long). 


in 

blessed 

Virgin 

black 

spin 

bless 

thin 

blue 

shin 



Words in words. 

blessed 

less 


so 

cold 

close 

hold 

home 

told 


Word Games : Family, holy. 


fat 

milk 

early 

home 

early 

fa t 

mil k 

earl y 

ho me 

ear ly 

fa 

mil 

y 

ho 

ly 


family 


holy 


244 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Page 45 

Reading from the Board. After the teacher hag told the 
story of Santa Claus, and after the pupils have reproduced 
it in their own language, place the first four lines of the lesson 
on the board, and have the children read them at sight. 
Some pupils will stumble over the words waiting and presents. 
These sight words can then be developed. Print the second 
four lines on the board, and treat in the same manner. 
After is the new word. Print the third four lines. 

New Words. Wait, waiting, presents, bag, full. 

Correlation. Many stories of Santa Claus and his kindness 
to children should be told to the pupils. Little children love 
to hear about that wonderful visitor who comes during the 
night with a great many good things for boys and girls. 

Seat Work. From a pattern, trace Santa Claus. 

Phonics. Teach um. 

Review the work of the previous day, and th. 


drum 

with 

um 

without 

gum 

teeth 

hum 

another 


Bethlehem 


Words in words. 

waiting 

wait 

Word Games : Waiting, bag. 


we 

saint 

eating 

be 

flag 

w e 

s ai nt 

ea ting 

b e 

fl ag 

w 

ai 

ting 

b 

ag 


waiting 



bag 


FIRST READER—PAGES 46-49 


245 


Pages 46-49 

Conversational Background. Once I knew a dear little 
baby girl about two years old. Her name was Betty. One 
day while nurse was busy, Betty toddled off and lost her way. 
She came near a pond in a field and saw herself in the water. 
“ Another little Betty girl! ” she cried. “ Come and play 
with me! ” As the little girl in the water did not move, 
Betty said, “ You naughty baby. You will not come to play 
with me, but I will go into the water and play with you.’ 7 Just 
then Rover, Betty’s big shepherd dog, came along and seeing 
the danger, caught hold of Betty’s dress. He held her fast 
with his big strong teeth. “ Naughty Rover won’t let Betty 
play with the other Baby,” said the little girl, but Rover held 
on. In the meantime, nurse had missed Betty. She looked 
everywhere. Then she told Betty’s mother. Betty’s mother 
said, “ Where is Rover ? I am sure he is with Betty.” They 
went out into the field and soon found Betty and Rover at 
the pond. How happy mother was to find her baby ! How 
she loved Rover who had saved Betty from being drowned. 

This is a story of a little boy who was lost. Let us read it 
to see who found him. 

New Words. Covered, snow , still, walked, lost, tired, walk¬ 
ing, matter, sleigh, sit, more, find, place, lap. 

Oral Language. Tell three stories (sentences) about Santa 
Claus. 

Seat Work. Trace and color Santa Claus, or make a 
jointed Santa Claus. Fold and cut a sled out of paper. 
Have cut-outs of large holly leaves and berries for the children 
to color. These may be used for decorations. 

Phonics. Teach si. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ill, wh, and ed. 


246 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


asleep 

still 

what 

covered 


sleep 

Jill 

where 

walked 


sleeps 

hill 

when 

looked 


sleepy 

will 

which 

wicked 


sleigh 

chill 

white 




frill 





grill 




Words in words. 





sit still covered walked tired 

matter 

place 

it ill cover 

walk tire 

mat 

ace 

Word Games : Find, snow, 

still, matter, place. 


fish kind 

sky 

near show 

so 

till 

f ish k ind 

sky 

n ear sh ow 

s 0 

till 

f ind 

s 

n ow 

s 

till 

find 


snow 


still 

man 

better 

play 

face 


ma n 

be tter 

play 

f ace 


ma 

tter 

pl 

ace 



matter place 

Page 50 

Preparation. Bring out the fact that Christmastide is a 
time for giving gifts, and that the greatest gift of all was the 
coming of the Baby Jesus on Christmas morning. When 
these ideas are firmly fixed in the minds of the children, they 
will be able to solve the problem in the poem; that is, “ What 
gifts shall children bring to the Baby Jesus on Christmas 
morning? ” 

Note. This poem should be memorized by the children. 
If the teacher thinks well of it, she may supply the fourth 
stanza. 

New Words. Joy, Christ. 


FIRST READER—PAGES 51-52 


247 


Seat Work. Put the following instructions on the board, 
and tell the pupils to do what they say: 

1. Draw a ball. 

2. Draw three balls. 

3. Color one ball black.-/ 

4. Color one ball green. 

5. Color one ball red. 

Phonics. Teach orn. 

Review the work of the previous day, and sh and oy. 


morning 

shall 

toy 

orn 

shell 

joy 

born 

shir 

boy 

corn 

shun 


horn 

shear 


worn 

show 


thorn 

shock 

shed 

sheep 

shorn 



Pages 51-52 

Conversational Background. This comparison between the 
birth of Christ and the birth of a child of to-day affords an 
opportunity to make the child realize in a very forcible way 
the love of Christ expressed in His lowly birth for us. 

New Words. Birthday , manger. 

Seat Work. Paste a picture of the Infant on drawing paper 
and copy the little song the shepherds sang. 

Phonics. Teach ame. 

Review the work of the previous day. 


248 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


came 

name 

ame 

same 

dame 

tame 

fame 

blame 

game 

shame 

lame 

frame 


Words in words. 

birthday 

birth 

day 

Word Game: Birthday. 


bird 

throw 

day 

bir d 

th row 

day 

bir 

th 

day 


birthday 


Page 53 

Conversational Background. The shepherds brought gifts 
to the Infant. Who can tell what their gifts were? The 
Wise Men brought gifts. Who can tell what their gifts were ? 
The Infant wishes a gift from us too. What gift do you think 
would please Him most ? 

New Words. Wise, yet, gift, part, lamb. 

Picture Study. This little girl is giving her gift to Jesus. 
Phonics. Teach hr. 

Review the work of the previous day. 


bring 

brace 

br 

bride 

brick 

bred 

brake 

bright 

brow 



FIRST READER—PAGES 54-56 249 


Word Games: 

Yet, gift, part. 




yes get 

got lift 

put 

star 

true 

y es g et 

g ot 1 ift 

p ut 

st ar 

t rue 

y et 

g ift 

P 

ar 

t 

yet 

gift 


part 



Pages 54-56 

Picture Study. This illustration brings out the loyalty of 
a dog. Let all your questions and suggestions tend toward 
this end. 

New Words. Spot, saved, rested, dress, swam, tug, shore, 
harked, wagged, patted, hug. 

Correlation. Lead the children to think about the use of 
rivers. 

“ Post Office ” Game. Place all the Perception Cards in a 
large box near the teacher’s desk. Let this box be the post 
office. Have one of the pupils act as postmaster. His duty 
will be to hand out a card to each pupil who comes to the 
post office. As soon as the pupil gets a card, he is supposed 
to look at it and pronounce the word. If he fail to do so, 
he has to return the card to the postmaster. 

Phonics. Teach sw and ug. 

Review the work of the previous day, and a (long) and e 
(short). 


swim 

tug 

saved 

Edna 

swam 

hug 

gave 

fell 

sw 

ug 

take 

best 

sweet 

bug 



swing 

dug 



sweep 

hug 




mug 




PUg 




rug 




250 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Words in words. 

wagged Spot saved rested swam barked 

wag pot save rest am bark 

Word Games: Swam, Spot, save, rest, dress. 


swim 

am 

spin 

lot 

sat 

gave 

red 

best 

sw im 

am 

sp in 

1 ot 

s at 

g ave 

r ed 

b est 

sw 

am 

sp 

ot 

s 

ave 

r 

est 


swam spot save rest 

drum bless 
dr um bl ess 
dress 

Pages 57-60 

Picture Study. The sheep and the little lambs came to the 
field in order to watch a race. Black Face and White Face are 
going to have the race. Who can find Black Face? Who 
can find White Face ? Let us read the story to see who won 
the race. 

New Words. Sheep, called, summer, green, faster, than, 
race, baa, win, try, must, slept, himself, hung, won, while. 

Directions. After the new words of each story unit have 
been taught, let the children read the lesson silently. This 
reading will be purposive if thought questions be proposed, 
e.g. page 57, “ Find what the mother called her dear little 
lambs.” Page 58, “ What did the little lambs do to prove 
which could run faster? ” Page 59, “ When the little lambs 
were tired, what did each say? ” Page 60, “ Who won the 
race? ” Be sure to check up to see that each child has the 
thought. 

Dramatization. The lesson should be studied and read 


FIRST READER—PAGE 61 


251 


aloud in order to play it. This lesson is very suitable for 
dramatization, as the entire class can take part. 

Project. What do we get from the sheep? 

Seat Work. Draw the mother sheep and her little lamb, 
or color lambs on mimeographed sheets. Use them for a 
poster or other decorative work. 

Phonics. Teach ou. 

Review the work of the previous day, and an, ay, hi, wh, 
and u (short). 


around 

began 


play 

black 

white 

fun 

ou 

can 


pray 

blue 

where 

us 

found 

woman 


away 

bless 

when 

drum 

round 

plan 



blow 

what 

jump 

bound 

span 




which 

run 








sun 

Words in words 







faster 

faster 


than 

win 


himself 

fast 

aster 


an 


in 


him 

Word Games : Sheep, green, than, race, win, try, must, slept. 

shoe see 

pull 

great seen 

this ran 

red 

place 

sh oe s ee 

pull 

gr eat s een 

th is r 

an 

r ed 

pi ace 

sh ee 

P 

gr 

een 

th 

an 

r 

ace 

sheep 



green 

than 


race 

will in 

tree 

fly 

much stop 


sleigh 

kept 

w ill in 

tr ee 

fly 

mu 

ch st op 


si eigh 

k ept 

w in 

tr 

y 

mu 

st 


si 

ept 

win 

try 


must 


slept 


Page 61 

Drill. At first, require each pupil to answer but one ques¬ 
tion. Insist that he read the question silently and give the 
answer orally, in a complete sentence. After drilling suffi- 


252 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


ciently on this lesson, say to the children, “ Is there any pupil 
here who can answer all the questions? ” Make the contest 
lively. Appeal to the ambition of the children. 

Page 62 

Picture Study. In what kind of a house did this dear old 
lady live? Let’s count how many children this good woman 
had. 

New Words. Soup, bread, marched. 

Oral Language. After the lesson has been prepared, have 
the children read it in order to memorize it. Tell them to 
recite it to their little brothers and sisters at home. 

Seat Work. Make a booklet in the form of a shoe. On one 
page write the new words; on the other pages, copy stories 
(sentences) containing the new words. 

Phonics. Review work of previous day, ed and e (long). 


marched 

he 

jumped 

we 

walked 

me 

looked 

be 

before 

begun 

began 

Words in words. 

bread 

marched 

read 

march 

Word Game: Bread. 

bring 

ready 

br ing 

r ead y 

br 

ead 


bread 


\ 


FIRST READER—PAGES 63-65 


253 


Pages 63-65 


Conversational Background. Tell the fable of the Fox and 
the Stork. It will serve to motivate the lesson. 

Picture Study. Lead the children to interpret the illus¬ 
tration. 

New Words. Wall, reach, first, ha ha, leap, laughing. 

Directions. Silent reading or study reading should be used 
in the preparation of this lesson, as in every other lesson. 
It can be done in a manner similar to the method used in the 
lesson on page 57. 

Reading. Let one child play that he is the fox and read 
what the fox says; another, what the goat says. Let others 
read the part about the well, the explanatory part about the 
fox, and the explanatory part about the goats. This lends 
interest and keeps the children alert. 

Oral Language. Let the children give sentences using 
the new words. 

Seat Work. Give the children mimeographed copies of 
a fox, and a well to color. Use the best for a blackboard 
border. 

Phonics. Teach oa (apply rule), and dr. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ell. 


goat 

oa 

oat 

oats 


drill 

drake 

drum 

drug 


drink 

dr 


well 

dwell 

fell 

tell 

shell 

spell 


Words in words. 


reach 

each 


laughing 

laugh 


254 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Word Games : Reach, wall. 


read 

march 

we 

all 

rea d 

mar ch 

w e 

all 

rea 

ch 

w 

all 

reach 

wall 



Page 66 

Objective Teaching. The idea of this lesson is to go from 
the object to the printed symbol. As soon as the pupils 
recognize each of the printed symbols, have them use the 
words in sentences. These sentences should be printed on the 
board as the pupils say them. These will form a very inter¬ 
esting reading lesson. 

New Words. Chin, ears, neck, chest, feet, toes. 

Health. Lead the children to understand that each part of. 
the body must be cared for if we wish to be strong and 
healthy. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and e 
(short) and i (short). 


chin 

neck 




• mince 

chess 




its 

listen 




lived 

help 




lifts 

trembling 




spin 

slept 




wind 





kill 





Word Games. Chin, 

ears, chest, feet. 




church in hears 

child rest 

from 

week 

at 

ch urch in h ears 

ch ild r est 

f rom 

w ee k 

a t 

ch in ears 

ch est 

f 

ee 

t 

chin 

chest 


feet 



255 


FIRST READER—PAGE 68 
Page 67 

This is a silent reading lesson. It contains no new words 
and may be used as a test. Be careful that the children are 
called on promiscuously. The sentences may also be taken 
out of order. This method of conducting a lesson promotes 
sustained interest. 

Page 68 

Conversational Background. Tell about Betsy Ross and 
the flag. 

. Directions. After the pupils have studied the illustration, 
have them march around the room, one carrying a small 
drum, a number carrying little American flags, and the rest 
of the class carrying rulers for guns. This will help to moti¬ 
vate the lesson. Every child should have a genuine love for 
the flag. This lesson gives the children an opportunity to 
express their love and devotion to the American flag, and 
teaches patriotism. 

New Words. Lands , hue , however , grand. 

Correlation. If some of the children in the class have 
flags of other countries, ask them to bring them to school so 
that all the pupils may realize that there are many different 
flags in the world. 

Seat Work. Let the children draw a flag and color it. 

Songs. “ There are Many Flags.in Many Lands," and “ I 
Love the Flag." 

Phonics. Teach fl. 

Review the work of the previous day. 


flags 

flutter 

flat 

fled 

fl 

flew 

fling 

flight 

fly 

flowers 

flake 

flame 

floor 


flock 



256 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Words in words. 


lands 


grand 

however 

and 


and 

how 




ever 

Word Games: 

Lands, grand. 


lots 

and 

s 

great and 

1 ots 

and 

s 

gr eat and 

1 

and 

s 

gr and 


lands 

Pages 69-70 

grand 


Picture Study. Here we have a picture of a little girl. 
Who will mention some things that this little girl can do? 

New Words. Guess, sometimes, ease, tongue, underneath , 
round. 

Oral Language. Have the children use the new words in 
contextual phrases. Have the children notice that every line 
of the poem begins with a capital. 

Directions. To make the reading purposive, let six pupils 
read the poem to another class or to the principal. 

Project. Bring pictures of little girls cut from magazines, 
etc. 

Seat Work. Paste your picture on a sheet of paper and copy 
the stanzas you like best. 

Phonics. Teach cl. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ch. 


close 

ch 

cl 

chain 

clock 

chin 

cling 

chum 

clay 

chide 

clear 

chill 


chat 


FIRST READER—PAGES 71-72 


257 


Words in words. 



around 

underneath 

please 

sometimes 

round 

under 

ease 

some 

times 


Pages 71-72 

Conversational Background. The teacher should impress 
upon the children that policemen are placed on the streets 
to save people from being run over by automobiles. The 
policemen then are the friends of boys and girls. Pupils 
should do what the policemen tell them. In some places 
there are no policemen. What is the child to do then? 
Remain on the sidewalk until he sees that there are no autos 
coming from the left or the right. When going to or coming 
from your home, always walk on the sidewalk — not in the 
street or on the grass. 

Dramatization . Ask one of the largest boys to act as a 
traffic policeman. Pretend that the other children are walk¬ 
ing on the sidewalk. 

New Words. Safety, autos, careful, policeman, sidewalk. 

Seat Work. Build from capital letters, “ SAFETY 
FIRST. LOOK OUT FOR THE AUTO.” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and o 
(long) and th. 


autos 

their 

grow 

them 

opened 

they 

over 

this 

broke 

that 

golden 

there 

nor 

thing 

woke 



258 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Words in words. 

careful safety policeman sidewalk 

care safe police side 

man walk 

Word Game: Wait. 


word 

pail 

got 

w ord 

p ai 1 

go t 

w 

ai 

t 


wait 



Page 73 

Conversational Background. Tell a short, simple story 
showing that God sees us and watches over us, not only 
during the day, but also during the night; and that we have 
no reason to fear, because He is always near. This is a 
truly religious lesson. 

New Words. Dreaming , hark , dark , lie , kneel , need, awake. 

Correlation. Make it plain to the children that this poem 
answers the question asked in the Catechism, “ Does God 
see us? ” 

Seat Work. As b, p, and d are difficult to distinguish, have 
the pupils pick out from the words all those beginning with 
either of these three letters. 

Phonics. Teach ark. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ake and un. 


dark 

awake 

run 

ark 

make 

under 

bark 

bake 

cunning 

dark 

take 

funny 

hark 

shake 

Sunday 


FIRST READER—PAGE 74 


259 


lark until 

mark 
park 
shark 
spark 


Words in words. 



hark 

dreaming 

dark 

awake 

ark 

dream 

ark 

wake 

Word Games: 

Hark, dreaming, lie, dark. 

harm kill 

drive 

eat 

from thing 

har m k ill 

dr ive 

ea t 

fro m th ing 

har k 

dr 

ea 

m ing 

hark 


dreaming 

low 

tie 

doll 

hark 

1 ow 

t ie 

doll 

h ark 

1 

ie 

d 

ark 


lie dark 

Page 74 

Let the pupils read these lessons silently and give the 
answers to the riddles. 

New Words. Sharp, thinking, brown. 

Oral Language. See if you can make riddles something 
like these. 

Seat Work. With a needle and colored thread, stitch a 
simple border. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing. 
thinking 
coming 
trembling 
passing 
dreaming 


260 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Words in words. 

sharp thinking 

harp think 

Word Games : Sharp, brown. 


shoe 

harm 

Pay 

bring 

now 

not 

sh oe 

h ar m 

pay 

br ing 

n ow 

n ot 

sh 

ar 

sharp 

P 

br 

ow 

brown 

n 


Page 75 


Dramatization. Select two pupils — one to be Pita and 
the other to be her father. The latter must be in the distance. 
Give each an earphone so that they can carry on the conver¬ 
sation found in the lesson. 

New Words. Telephone, hello, Rita, talking. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and en 
and sh. 


when 

shall 

show 

heaven 

she 

shepherd 

given 

fishes 

shore 

children 

shady 

sheep 

golden 

shoe 

sharp 

ten 

shake 



Words in words. 


talking 

talk 


Page 76 

Memory Gem. When the thought of this rhyme has been 
drawn from the illustration, read the story once or twice to 
the pupils, and then have them memorize both stanzas. 
New Word. Shook. 


FIRST READER —PAGES 77-81 261 

Seat Work. Trace the outline of a robin. Color it with 
crayon. 

Phonics. Teach ew and cr. 


Review the work of the previous 

day, and ill and ir. 

flew 

cried 


will 

bird 

ew 

cr 


Jill 

birdie 

new 

cross 


still 

girl 

dew 

crook 


Billy 

few 

crack 




pew 

crow 




blew 

crock 




chew 

creep 




chide 

crew 




chum 





Words in words. 


shook 





hook 




Pages 77-81 



Dramatization. The children enjoy playing this game. 
The mere fact that one of them is blindfolded adds consider¬ 
able interest to the exercise. In this way, they learn that we 
know many things through the senses of smell, taste, sight, 
feeling, and hearing. This knowledge is very important for 
first-grade children. Take one sense at a time. Call on 
several pupils to solve each problem. 

New Words. Apple, taste, smell, training, senses, Dan, 
pencil, chocolate, piano, sound, pin. 

Oral Language. Have the pupils tell about apples and 
chocolates. 

Seat Work. Trace an apple and color it like the model on 
the board. 


262 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Phonics. Teach sm. 

Review the work of the previous day, and an, in, and i 
(short). 


smell 

can 

pin 

is 

sm 

began 

spin 

this 

small 

woman 

Virgin 

Sister 

smack 

ran 


it 

smear 

Dan 


pencil 

smock 

gentleman 


wind 




wing 

still 




sit 


Words in words. 

training pencil chocolate 

train pen late 


Word Games: Training, smell, Dan, sound, pin. 


turn 

rain sing 

smile 

tell 

die 

ran 

t urn 

rain s ing 

sm ile 

tell 

d ie 

r an 


rain ing 

sm 

ell 

d 

an 


training 

smell 


Dan 


sand round 


poor 

in 



s and r ound 


p oor 

in 



s ound 


P 

in 



sound 


pin 




Page 83 

Picture Study. Why is the little boy shouting ? What do 
you think he wants ? 

New Words. Became, used, dream, scream, fled. 

Oral Language. Have the children use the new words in 
sentences. 


FIRST READER—PAGE 84 


263 


Blackboard Reading. Place the children’s sentences on 
the blackboard for a reading lesson. 

Project. Bring pictures of various toys cut from news¬ 
papers, magazines, and catalogs. 

Seat Work. Cut out the pictures of the toys. Paste them 
on drawing paper 

Phonics. Teach u (long) and e (long). 

Review the work of the previous day, and wh and ea. 


used he 

wh 

reading 


u we 

where 

neat 


me 

which 

near 


be 

what 

dear 


began 

white 

dream 


begun 

when 

scream 


before 


cream 


became 

ream 


eleven 

beam 




steam 




clean 


Words in words. 




became used 

dream 

scream 

fled 

be use 

ream 

cream 

led 

came 




Word Games : Dream , 

scream, fled. 



dwell cream 

soup cream 

fly 

bed 

d well c ream 

s oup cream 

fly 

b ed 

d ream 

s cream 

fl 

ed 


dream scream fled 

Page 84 

Picture Study. Why is this little boy dressed in blue? 
Why has he a horn? Let us read the story. Perhaps the 
story will tell us. 


264 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


New Words. Blow, horn, meadow, corn, under, haystack. 
Oral Language. Give words that rhyme with horn, sheep, 
cry. 

Seat Work. Draw a horn. Cut it from colored paper. 
Draw a haystack. Color mimeographed copies of Little 
Boy Blue. Use this work for a poster. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ay, 
er, hi, and ook. 


hay 

under 

Blue 

look 

say 

mother 

blow 

book 

day 

father 


hook 

may 

her 


cook 

pray 

water 


nook 

away 

after 


took 

praying 

ever 


shook 


over 


brook 




crook 

Words in words. 




blow 

haystack 



low 

hay 




stack 


Word Games: 

Blow, horn, corn, under, haystack. 

blue show 

he for new 

he say 

stop 

bl ue sh ow 

he f or n ew 

he s ay 

st op 

bl ow 

h or n 

h ay 

st 

blow 

horn 

haystack 

call 

horn 

fun do 

her 

c all 

h orn 

f un do 

h er 

c 

orn 

un d 

er 

corn 

under 



Jack 
J ack 
ack 


FIRST READER—PAGES 85-92 


265 


Pages 85-92 

Story. Tell the story about two goats meeting on a bridge. 

Picture Study. How many goats are we going to read 
about in the story ? Are they the same size ? Which one 
would you call Little Billy Goat ? Where is Big Billy Goat ? 
Which one is Great Big Billy Goat ? 

New Words. Billy, second, third, grass, small, bridge, 
hungry, wicked, knew, fatter, danced, angry, threw, deep, sure, 
stay, grew 

Dramatization. Dramatize the story. 

Project. Illustrate the story on the sand table or by 
posters. 

Seat Work. From this lesson select words containing the 
different letters of the alphabet; e.g. ate, 6ig, once, third, 
the, /at, etc. 

Phonics. Teach at. 

Review the work of the previous day, and all and ick. 



all 

fat 

rat 

wicked 


ball 

fatter 

sat 

sick 


small 

at 

vat 

thick 


tall 

bat 

that 

click 


all 

cat 

chat 




hat 

spat 




mat 

flat 


Words in words. 




Billy 

small 


knew 


Bill 

all 


new 

Word Games: 

Billy, small, wicked, deep, stay, grew. 

Bee 

till any 

smile call 


wing sick 

B ee 

t ill an y 

sm ile c all 


wi ng s ick 

B 

ill y 

sm all 


w ick 


Billy 

small 


wicked 


266 TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


done 

keep 

story 

pay 

great 

threw 

d one 

k eep 

st ory 

P ay 

gr eat 

thr ew 

d 

eep 

st 

ay 

gr 

ew 


deep stay grew 

Page 93 

Conversational Background. Give the children a short, 
simple account of this lesson. 

Correlation. The teacher should endeavor to give the 
pupils examples of pleasing vocal and instrumental music. 
Perhaps some children from the higher grades would sing 
a few simple songs, or some musical friends would play a 
few suitable melodies. This is the way to make the lesson 
mean something to the children. 

Politeness. The children in the story were polite, because 
they thanked the music man for the music he had given 
them. 

New Words. Music , pit-a-pat. 

Seat Work. Copy the words containing phonograms which 
you know and draw a line under the phonogram in each word 
selected. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ay 
and ing. 


play 

playing 

stay 

thinking 

away 

dreaming 

pray 

looking 

day 

sitting 

may 

laughing 

say 

morning 

hay 

walking 


FIRST READER—PAGE 94 


267 


Page 94 

Purpose. This lesson brings out the relation that exists 
between the mother hen and the little chickens. Let the 
children understand that it is the same relationship as that 
which exists between them and their parents. All this 
helps them to realize the wonderful works of God Who made 
all these creatures. 

New Words. Chickens , chick, food, hen, calling. 

Oral Language. Let the children tell you all they know 
about chickens. 

Seat Work. From a cut-out, trace four eggs and color 
them. 

Phonics. Teach pr. 

Review the work of the previous day, and and, un, and ch. 


pretty 

grandmother 

run 

chickens 

pr 

hand 

fun 

child 

praying 

and 

sun 

cheer 

pray 

band 

shun 

chin 

footprints 

land 

spun 


prick 

sand 




grand 



Words in words. 




chickens 

calling 



chick 

call 


Word Games: 

Hen, chicken, calling. 


hang then 

child sick 

hen 

call sing 

h ang th en 

ch ild s ick 

h en 

call s ing 

h en 

ch ick 

en 

call ing 

hen 

chicken 

calling 


268 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Page 95 


Picture Study. What do you see on the table? Name 
some of the things. Where did mother get them? Where 
did the store man get them ? Where did the farmer get them ? 
What are the children doing? Do you say grace before 
meals? What words do you say? To whom do you speak? 
What did God have to do with the good things on the table ? 
What helped to make the good things grow ? Who gave us 
the sun, the rain, the wind, and the earth ? 

Conversational Background. Give a short simple nar¬ 
rative explaining how many good things that we eat grow. 
Emphasize the fact that God sends the sun, the wind, and 
the rain. 

New Words. Christian , nice , grace. 

Seat Work. Have the pupils make a table and chairs 
with pegs. Trace a bottle of milk. 

Phonics. Teach i (long). 

Review the work of the previous day, and e (final). 


nice 


grace (apply rule) 


child 

line 

like 


take 

place 

nice 

drive 

bite 


Words in words. 

nice grace 

ice race 

Word Game: Grace. 


Christian 

Christ 


grew 
gr ew 
gr 


face 
f ace 
ace 


grace 


FIRST READER—PAGES 97-99 


269 


Page 96 

This is a silent reading lesson. It may be used as a test 
of comprehension. If conducted in a spirited, lively manner 
it will also test speed. 

New Words. Glass, ask. 

Pages 97-99 

Conversational Background. The teacher will tell this 
story in her own language and then lead the pupils to talk 
about it. 

Testing for Thought. Where did the little boy live? Did 
he have many playthings ? Why was he not happy ? What 
did the boy say to his father? What did he want? Why 
did he want a chum? When did he get the chum? What 
did the little boy do when he saw the chum? What did he 
gay to the little chum? Was the little boy happy? Whom 
did he thank? 

New Words. Swings, number, fill, sled, prize, size, chum, 
learning, sorry, surely. 

Problem. What would you do if you were a little boy 
without a chum ? 


Phonics. Review the work of the 
ill, ch, and i (short). 

previous day, and en> 

listen 

will 

cheer 

chicken 

in 

chum 

pencil 

things 

child 

ten 

swings 

chickens 

golden 

his 

bring 

little 

him 

chin 

children 


270 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Words in words. 



swings 

fill 


sled 



wings 

ill 


led 


Games 

: Swing, 

sled, size, chum. 


sweet 

bring 

slept 

bed 

stay 

prize 

sw eet 

br ing 

si ept 

b ed 

s tay 

pr ize 

sw 

ing 

si 

ed 

s 

ize 

swing 

sled 

size 


chick 

drum 




ch ick 

dr um 




ch 


um 




chum 

Page 100 

Picture Study. Lead the children to interpret the picture. 
Directions. Read the lesson. Memorize it; play it for 
little brother or sister. 

New Words. Wee, market, stayed, roast, beef. 

Seat Work. Trace a pig from a cut-out on colored paper. 
Mount it on manila drawing paper. Build the story from 
your reader with Word Cards or Alphabet Cards. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ed. 

stayed kissed 

wished jumped 

skipped hopped 

looked helped 


Words in words. 


market 

mark 


stayed 

stay 


FIRST READER—PAGES 101-109 


271 


Word Games : Wee, market, beef. 


won 

see 

meet 

park 

pet 

w on s ee 

m eet 

p ark 

p et 

w 

ee 

m 

ark 

et 

wee 


market 


bag 

meet 

full 


b ag 

m eet 

full 


b 

ee 

f 



beef 


Pages 101-109 

Picture Study. Lead the children to interpret the pictures 
so as to get the thought of the lesson. 

New Words. Dollar, bought, tied, few, steps, farther, 
to-night, beat, burn, whip, rope, hit, rat. 

Directions. One story unit should be studied at a time 
until each can be read smoothly and intelligently; then the 
complete story should be read aloud. 

Oral Language. Have the children reproduce the various 
units of the story and finally the complete story. This will 
train them to notice the sequence of the story. 

Seat Work. Prepare mimeographed illustrations of the 
lesson. These may be colored and cut and made into posters. 
These posters may serve for an illustrated audience reading 
lesson; i.e. a child may hold up a poster before the class, 
while another reads the lines which this poster illustrates. 

Phonics. Teach old. 

Review the work of the previous day, and ick, ell, and wh. 


old 

stick 

tell 

whip 

bold 

sick 

well 

where 

cold 

chick 

dwell 

what 


272 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


fold wicked fell white 

gold which 

hold 
* sold 
told 


Words in words. 

bought 

ought 


beat 

eat 


Word Games: To-night, heat, hit, rat. 


to 

no 

right 

beef 

eat 

to 

n o 

r ight 

b eef 

eat 

to 

n 

ight 

b 

eat 


tonight beat 


help 
h elp 
h 


sit 
s it 
it 


hit 


reach fat 

r each f at 
r at 

rat 


Page 110 

New Words. Joan, nobody . 

Thought Questions. Why is the little girl called Jumping 
Joan? When are you alone? 

Directions. Read the jingle. Memorize it. Recite it to 
little brother or sister. 

Seat Work. Build the jingle with Word Cards or Alpha¬ 
bet Cards. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day. 

Words in words. 

nobody 

no 

body 


FIRST READER—PAGES 112-114 


273 


Page 111 

Story. Retell the story of the Birth of Christ. 

New Words. Lit, within, wooden, latch. 

Oral Language. What mark is placed at the end of the first 
line? Why? Tell the class some stories (sentences) that 
need such a mark. 

Project. Fold colored paper to represent a stable. Paste 
the cut-out of the Infant or the picture of the Infant in the 
stable. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day. 

Words in words. 

within wooden 

with wood 

in 

Word Games : Lit, wooden, latch. 


lands 

sit 

way good men 

lap 

catch 

1 ands 

s it 

w ay g ood m en 

1 ap 

c atch 

1 

it 

w ood en 

1 

atch 

lit 


wooden 

latch 



Pages 112-114 




Picture Study. Who have these men come to visit ? 
What are they offering to the Infant? From where have 
these men come? Why did they come? What are they 
called ? 

Oral Language. The children will find much to talk about 
in this lesson. The teacher should suggest things that the 
children have overlooked. 

New Words. Men, filled, soft, hay, laid, camels, east, fol¬ 
lowed, prayed. 


274 


TEACHERS' MANUAL 


Seat Work. Trace the outline of a camel, and draw a star 
from a pattern. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and th 
and a (short). 

th camels 

this glad 

with wagged 

then rat 

they 

Word Games : Men, hay, east. 


market hen 

eat 

stay 

haystack 

m arket h en 

ea t 

st ay 

hay stack 

m en 

ea 

st 

hay 

men 

east 



Page 

115 



Picture Study. How many little mice in this picture? 
They seem very busy. The cat has come to help them. Is 
she welcome? Why is she not welcome? 

New Words. Peeped, making, gentlemen, Miss, mice, passed, 
threads, might. 

Dramatization. Let six children be the mice and one be 
the pussy. Play the story. 

Seat Work. Show the children how to draw ovals, then 
by a few additions make mice and pussy of the ovals. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and in 
and i (long). 


spin 

mice 

in 

might 

pin 

fire 

Virgin 

tiny 


side 


tried 


FIRST READER—PAGES 116-118 


275 


Words in words. 


gentlemen 

gentle 


mice 


ice 


men 


Word Games : Thread, might . 


throw read miss 

th row read m iss 
th read m 


night 
n ight 
ight 


thread 


might 


Pages 116-118 


Picture Study. Spend sufficient time on this picture. 
Let the children imagine themselves among these favored 
little ones, loved and caressed by the Divine Lover of Chil¬ 
dren. 

Thought Questions. Which child would you like to be? 
Why? Notice how eager the children are to be near Jesus. 
Why? 

New Words. Winter, smiled, learned. 

Oral Language. Let the children tell the story. Have 
them memorize the little act of love at the end of the lesson. 
Memorize and recite: 


Jesus, when the little ones 
Climbed upon Your knee, 


Did You think of every one? 
Did You think of me? 


Testing for Thought. Which story did the children like 
best ? What makes you think so ? How did Jesus show that 
He loves children ? What did He say ? What did the chil¬ 
dren say to Jesus ? How can you be near Jesus ? 


276 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Seat Work. Copy or build with Word Cards or Alphabet 
Cards. “ We love You, dear Jesus, and we give You our 
hearts.” 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and en, 
er , hi, and i (long). 

children winter 

evening mother 

garden father 

listen farther 

oven over 

under 
after 

Words in words. 

smiled 
mile 

Word Game: Winter. 

window 
win dow 
win 

winter 
Page 119 

Oral Language. After the illustration has been studied, 
let the pupils express the thoughts they get from it. Lead 
them to see that the sun, the rain, the wind, and the moist 
earth help the flowers to grow. If possible, take the children 
to a private or a public garden where the flowers are in bloom. 
This will enable them to see their real beauty. Fail not to 
emphasize the fact that flowers make children think of God. 

Correlation. Speak to the children about the various 
uses of flowers: flowers to decorate the altar, flowers for 
teacher’s desk, flowers for a boy or a girl who is sick,.etc. 


blessed 

blue 

black 


fire 

liked 

smile 

lion 

wide 


after 
af ter 
ter 


FIRST READER—PAGE 120 


277 


Note. Children are always interested in the growth of 
flowers. For this reason, many teachers have flowers grow¬ 
ing in the classroom. 

New Word. Garden. 

Seat Work. Have the pupils finish these sentences with 
words: 

The flowers make us think of-. 

The flowers grow in a-. 

The flowers have many-. 

The flowers sleep at-. 

The flowers wake in the-. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing. 



bring 

morning 



coming 

dreaming 



sing 

laughing 



wing 

sitting 


Word Game: 

Garden. 



go 

arms 

do 

then 

go 

ar ms 

d o 

th en 

g 

ar 

d 

en 


garden 




Page 120 

Conversational Background. One day, a little boy went 
to the zoo. Among the animals, he saw a great big elephant. 
When the keeper noticed the little boy looking at the ele¬ 
phant, he said to him, “ Would you like to ride on the ele¬ 
phant’s back? ” The little boy said, “ Yes, sir; I should 
like to ride the elephant.” “ Do you want to ride on his 
back or on his trunk? ” “ I should like to ride on his back. 

I would be farther away from his mouth.” So the keeper 


278 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


took the little boy and put him on the elephant’s back, and 
gave him a ride. While riding around the field, the boy saw 
a woman talking to a number of children. This is what the 
woman said. “ Here comes the great big elephant. Oh, see 
the boy on his back,” etc. 

New Words. Trunk, elephant, brave. 

Project. Ask the pupils to find out as many things as they 
can about an elephant. 

Seat Work. From a cut-out, trace an elephant. 

Page 121 

Picture Study. This little girl has a curl. Where is it? 
Is she a good girl or a bad girl? 

New Words. Curl, middle, forehead, bad, horrid. 

Oral Language. Have the children make descriptive 
sentences about the picture. These should be simple but 
correct. They should really describe something in the 
picture. 

Project. Let the children bring pictures of little girls 
from newspapers and magazines. The sepia prints in the 
supplement of the Sunday papers can be utilized to advan¬ 
tage. 

Seat Work. Cut out the pictures and paste them on a 
sheet of paper. Copy the rhyme. 

Phonics. Review wh and ir. 

when girl 

whip bird 

where fir 

what 

white 

which 


FIRST READER—PAGES 122-128 


279. 


Words in words. 


forehead 

fore 


head 


Word Game: Bad. 


best 
b est 
b 


glad 
gl ad 
ad 


bad 


Pages 122-128 


Conversational Background. Sometimes little folks think 
they know better than their fathers and their mothers. 
But this is not so, as the following story will tell you: “ One 
day, a little turkey asked her mother if she might go for a walk. 
The mother told her that she was afraid to let her out alone. 
But the little turkey told her mother not to fear, that she was 
able to take care of herself. So the little turkey went for a walk. 
She walked far away. Then she wished she were home again. 
Just about this time, a great big fox appeared. The little 
turkey was filled with fear. She could not move. But as 
the fox came nearer and nearer, she began to run as fast as 
she could. The fox ran faster. As the fox was about to 
catch the turkey, she jumped on the logs that were near the 
bank of a river. In this way, she escaped the fox. When the 
little turkey came home, she told her mother that she would 
never again go out alone.” 

New Words. Myself, cunning, sly, dinner, nearer, move, 
logs, smart, stopped. 

Seat Work. Trace and color a fox. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ake, 
ell, and sh. 


280 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


take 

should 

well 

shake 

sheep 

dwell 

bake 

shall 

fell 

make 

shook 

smell 

awake 

shoes 

sharp 

shepherd 


Word Games : Myself, sly, nearer, 

smart. 

my himself 

sleep try 

no ear winter 

my him self 

si eep tr y 

n o ear wint er 

my self 

si y 

n ear er 

myself 

sly 

nearer 

smile 

sharp 

must 

sm ile 

sh ar p 

mus t 

sm 

ar 

smart 

Page 129 

t 


Picture Study. In interpreting this picture, be sure to 
make use of the possibilities of teaching a lesson in religion. 

New Words. Tall, touch, footprints, ground, sand. 

Oral Language. Memorize this beautiful poem. 

Seat Work. From drawing paper, cut a cross about four 
inches high. Color it and paste some picture from a catalog 
of religious pictures in the center of it. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and all 
and and. 

tall hand 

small sand 

ball land 

all grandmother 


FIRST READER—PAGES 130-131 


281 


Words in words. 

tall footprints ground sand 

all foot round and 

prints 

Word Game: Ground. 

grand found 
gr and f ound 
gr ound 

ground 

Pages 130-131 

Picture Study. Spend more time than usual in interpret¬ 
ing this illustration. Bring out the joyous aspect of Easter. 
Jesus Who, was dead and buried came back to life on Easter 
Sunday morning. This is why our hearts are filled with joy. 

Testing for Thought . Tell some of the many good things 
that Jesus did to make all the people love Him. Why was 
He put to death ? How did they put Him to death ? When 
did they put Him to death? Where did they put Him to 
death? Where did His friends put His body? In what 
kind of tomb ? How long did it remain in the tomb ? What 
happened then? Etc. 

New Words. Tomb, Easter, death, buried. 

Seat Work. Trace a cross. Underneath the cross copy 
three sentences from the lesson. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ack 
and ick. 


back 

sick 

stack 

wicked 

tack 

stick 

black 

sick 

Jack 

chick 


chickens 


282 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Word Game : Easter. 


eat 

star 

winter 

ea t 

st ar 

wint er 

ea 

st 

er 


easter 


Page 132 

Problems. This poem contains two problems for the 
children to solve. It is true that the lesson solves these 
problems. But before putting the textbook into the chil¬ 
dren’s hands, the teacher should call upon the different pupils 
in the class to tell what they would bring the Risen Saviour 
on Easter Sunday morning, and what kind of song they 
would sing on that occasion. Many solutions will be given. 
Listen to all, but emphasize the correct ones. 

New Words. Lily , fair. 

Seat Work. Trace a lily. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ing 
and ch. 


morning 

children 

sing 

child 

coming 

cheer 

trembling 

chin 

tumbling 

chum 

cunning 


dreaming 


Words in words. 



fair 


air 


FIRST READER—PAGES 133-134 


283 


Word Game: Fair. 


fill hair 

f ill h air 
f air 

fair 


Pages 133-134 

Oral Language. Have the children tell about the destruc¬ 
tive effect of fires. Have them discuss the cause of fires. 
Children should not light paper, rubbish, or leaves. They 
should not carry matches. Matches should be kept in a tin 
box where mice cannot eat the sulphur and thus cause them 
to ignite. 

New Words. Clear, engines, firemen, stream, bells, cling, 
clang. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and th 
and ook. 


they 

Bethlehem 

threw 

think 

things 

other 


look 

shook 

book 


Words in words. 

clear 

ear 


firemen 

fire 

men 


stream 

ream 


Word Games : Clear, stream, cling, clang. 
clap ear story cream clean sing clean sang 

cl ap ear st ory c ream cl ean s ing cl ean s ang 

cl ear st ream cl ing cl ang 

clear stream cling clang 


284 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Have the pupils memorize these lines. They will serve to 
inculcate a valuable moral. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ay. 

play 

playing 

day 

saying 

hay 

Page 135 

Picture Study. Lead the children to interpret the picture 
in the light of the lesson for which it will serve as a prepa¬ 
ration . 

New Words. Dead , shines , only , hide , frost. 

Thought Question. When does the sun rise ? Which 
lines of the poem tell that ? When does the sun set ? What 
do the flowers do at night ? What do the flowers do in the 
morning? Do the flowers die in winter? Find the lines 
in the poem that tell these facts. 

Blackboard Reading. Place on the blackboard sentences 
containing the new words which have been elicited from the 
pupils in a study of the picture. Have the children read 
them. 

Seat Work. Tell the children to illustrate with crayons 
any stanza of this poem. The results may be crude, but the 
exercise affords a splendid opportunity for expression. It 
will also test comprehension. 

Phonics. Review un, sh, e (final), and e (short). 


sun 

shines 

hide 

when 


fun 

should 

wide 

what 


run 

shook 

smile 

whip 



FIRST READER—PAGES 138-140 


285 


sheep 

sharp 

shore 

show 


mice where 

bite white 


which 


Word Game: Hide. 


him 
h im 
h 


ride 

ride 

ide 


hide 


Pages 136-137 


Conversational Background. After the children have 
enjoyed the picture, ask them to tell you of their own experi¬ 
ences with these little creatures. 

Project. Have the children bring to the classroom differ¬ 
ent kinds of nuts. 

New Words. Squirrel , nuts. 

Seat Work. Have children cut pictures of nuts from 
magazines and paste these on drawing paper. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ill. 


will 

kill 

fill 

still 

hill 

Jill 

Billy 


Pages 138-140 


Silent Reading. Ask each pupil to read this pretty poem 
in silence, in order to find out the new words. Drill on these 


286 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


words, and then have the children read the poem, a stanza 
at a time. This poem offers an opportunity to overcome the 
tendency to stop at the end of each line. 

New Words. Merry, flying, above, send, wounded, quickly, 
gladly, wherever, really, seemed, trying, neared, felt, shout. 

Seat Work. Trace birds from cut-outs. Color and use 
for blackboard border. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day, and ake, 
er, and ed. 


shake 

finger 

wounded 

take 

under 

wicked 

bake 

wherever 

rested 

make 

dinner 

patted 

awake 

nearer 



farther 



manger 

carpenter 


Words in words. 



flying 

send quickly gladly 

fly 

end quick 

glad 

Word Games : Flying, trying, shout 


fly bring 

try wing 

shady out 

fly br ing 

try w ing 

sh ady out 

fly ing 

try ing 

sh out 

flying 

trying 

shout 


Page 141 

Picture Study. The interpretation of this illustration will 
motivate the lesson. 

New Words. Rah, party. 

Dramatization. Let the children play May Party. 


FIRST READER—PAGES 142-146 


287 


Seat Work. Give the children mimeographed sheets 
containing baskets and flowers. Let them color these, cut 
them out, and use them for window decoration. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day. 

Word Game: Party. 

part lily 

part lil y 

part y 

party 

Pages 142-146 

Conversational Background. Recall to mind what has 
already been said about dogs. Then tell the pupils that you 
are going to have them read a very interesting story about a 
dog called Ginger. This dog went to school with one of the 
boys, but the teacher would not allow him to remain, so the 
boy sent him home. On his way home, the dog had trouble 
with a cat, but he got the best of her. 

Silent Reading. There are ten new words in this story. 
I want each pupil to read the entire story and see if he can tell 
what the new words are. Read from the eyes up. Do not 
read aloud, or even whisper. Read for yourself, and for no 
one else. Do not forget that you are looking for new words. 

New Words. Store, Ginger, pupil, doing, sad, missed, to¬ 
gether, waited, hiding, herself. 

Phonics. Review all and ing. 


morning 

tall 

sitting 

small 

wings 

ball 

things 

all 

king 


brings 



288 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Word Games : Ginger, doing, sad. 


Gingerbread 

do 

thing 

so had 

Ginger bread 

do 

th ing 

so h ad 

Ginger 

do 

ing 

s ad 



doing 

sad 


Page 147 



Conversational Background. Tell the children about the 
angels and in particular about the guardian angels. 

Oral Language. When the pupils have interpreted the 
illustration, let them talk about angels. 

New Words. Dangers, guide, guard, dearest, protect. 

Caution. Make sure that the children pause at the end 
of each line of poetry only when it is necessary. 

Phonics. Review the work of the previous day. 

Word Game: Dearest. 


dear 

chest 

dear 

ch est 

dear 

est 


dearest 


VII 


HELPFUL BOOKS ON THE SUBJECT 

Anderson, C. J. and Davidson, Isobel. Reading Objectives. Philadelphia. 
Laurel Book Company. 1925. 

Bolenius, Emma Miller. Primer and First Grade Manual. New York. 
Houghton Mifflin Company. 

Briggs, T. A. and Coffman, L. D. How to Teach Reading. Chicago. 
Row Peterson & Co. 

Buswell, Guy T. Fundamental Reading Habits. Department of Edu¬ 
cation. University of Chicago. 1922. 

Davis, Sheldon E. The Technique of Teaching. New York. The 
Macmillan Company. 1922. 

Gray, C. T. Deficiencies in Reading Ability; Their Diagnosis and Remedies. 

Boston. D. C. Heath and Company. 1924. 

Gray, William S. Principles of Method in Reading. Eighteenth Year¬ 
book of the National Society for the Study of Education. Blooming¬ 
ton, Ill. Public School Publishing Company. 

Hall, G. S. How to Teach Reading and What to Read in School. Boston. 
D. C. Heath and Company. 

Hilpert, R. E. Reading in the Saint Cloud Public Schools. 5th ed. 

St. Cloud, Minn. Board of Education. 1927. 

Huey, Edmund B. The Psychology and Pedagogy of Reading. New York. 
The Macmillan Company. 1908. 

Jenkins, Frances. Reading in the Primary Grades. New York. Hough¬ 
ton Mifflin Company. 

Judd, C. H. Reading: Its Nature and Development. Department of 
Education. University of Chicago. 1918. 

Klapper, Paul. Teaching Children to Read. New York. D. Appleton 
& Co. 

Krackowitzer, Alice M. Projects in the Primary Grades. Philadelphia. 
J. B. Lippincott Company. 1919. 

289 


290 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Laing, N. E. Reading. D. C. Heath and Company. 

McMurry, Charles A. A Special Method in Primary Reading. New 
York. The Macmillan Company. 1907. 

Mowat, Olive Day. A Synopsis of English Sounds. New York. The 
Macmillan Company. 1926. 

O’Brien, J. A. Silent Reading. New York. The Macmillan Company. 
1920. 

Parker, S. C. General Methods of Teaching in Elementary Schools. New 
York. Ginn & Company. 

Parker, S. C. Types of Elementary Teaching. New York. Ginn & 
Company. 1923. 

Pennell, N. E. and Cusack, Alice N. How to Teach Reading. New York. 
Houghton Mifflin Company. 1923. 

Peppard, Helen M. The Correction of Speech Defects. New York. The 
Macmillan Company. 1925. 

Report of the Society’s Committee on Silent Reading. Twentieth Year¬ 
book of the National Society for the Study of Education. Blooming¬ 
ton, Ill. Public School Publishing Company. 1921. 

Report of the Committee on Reading. Twenty-fourth Yearbook of the 
National Society for the Study of Education. Bloomington, Ill. 
Public School Publishing Company. 1925. 

Smith, W. A. The Reading Process. New York. The Macmillan 
Company. 1922. 

Stone, Clarence R. Oral and Silent Reading , New York. Houghton 
Mifflin Company. 1922. 

Wheat, H. G. Oral and Silent Reading. New York. Ginn & Company. 
1923. 


VIII 

SPECIAL MUSIC 
Pre-Primer 


Good Morning Song 

First Day —A. M. 


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Good morn-ing,dear chil-dren,Good morning to you. 


Run Around the Room, Boys 

First Day — P. M. M. C. A. 



Run a-round,Run a-round,Run a-round the room. 
291 







































292 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


A Child’s Prayer 


Third Day —A. M. M. C. A. 


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“ Bless 

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Lord, on 

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t 

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And teach me how to work and pray.’ 


This is the Way the Children Play 


Sixth Day —A. M. 


M. G. A. 





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This is the way the chil - dren play, The 


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chil - dren play, The chil - dren play; 




This is the way the chil - dren play, 

















































































MUSIC — PRE-PRIMER 


293 



This is the chil - dren’s way. . . 


Three Small Children 


Sixth Day — P. M. M. C. A. 

ry rj m n , i 

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Three small chil - dren 

r-O-L i i r 

in a room, 

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m -*-P 11 

rm * \ J • ^ 

l! II 

t# — J — 1 

4: |= 1 —H 


Bus - y sweep - ing with a broom. 


I Love Little Pussy 

Sixth Day —P. M. M. C. A. 


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I love lit - tie puss-y, Her coat is so warm; 



And if I don’t hurt her She’ll do 












































294 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Mother of the Infant Jesus 


Seventh Day — A. M. M. C. A. 



The Finger Family 

Eighth Day — A. M. M. C. A. 


-e- <• is, 

- I s IS "ft—I s " 

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JL P 

0P • 1 [ 1 

^ . A 

LBS. m 

1 P m m • * m 

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v V r> m 

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I have a small fam - i - ly here, 

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A fam - i - ly full of good cheer. A 


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fa - ther, a moth - er, A sis - ter, a broth -er, 
























































MUSIC — PRE-PRIMER 


295 


-e- ^ 

N iw iS n 

n 

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i li 

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And ba - by so cun - ning and dear. 


I Love You, Dear Jesus 


Eleventh Day—A. M. 


M. C. A. 



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I love You,dear Je-sus; I love You to-day; 



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I’ll love You and loVe You Every day of the year. 


I Love the Flag 


Thirteenth Day — P. M. M. C. A. 



I love the flag, My coun- try’s flag, I’ll 


r -fr-£ , 

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love it till I die. I love the stars, I 



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love the stripes,That flut - ter in the sky. 




























































296 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Up, Down 

Fourteenth Day — A. M. M. C. A. 






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Up, 

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Up, down, 

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down, Wear a smile, .But not a frown. 


Sleep, Dear Baby 

Sixteenth Day — P. M. 

&4—I-1- 


M. C. A. 


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See the ba - by, See the ba - by, 




m - m - 

See the ba - by dear. Sleep, dear ba - by, 



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Sleep, dear ba - by, Sleep and sleep, my dear. 












































































MUSIC—PRIMER 


297 


Prayer Song 

Seventeenth Day 


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Moth - er of 

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ear 

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Vir - gin ev - er fair, Gen - tie Queen 

of 



heav - en, Take me to your care. 
MUSIC FOR THE PRIMER 


Primer, Page 5 


Song of Love 



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Dear lit - tie Je - sus,Sweet lit - tie Je - sus; 

-n u , i i —r>- 


m — —m —P 1 


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How do you do? How do you do? 


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=fa=pi 


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Dear lit - tie Je - sus, Sweet lit - tie Je - sus, 


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I love you, 


I love you. 












































































298 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Song of Blessing 


Primer, Page 29 


13 






God bless you, God love you, God keep you, 


— aH*tt -T- 1 - H 

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—i-i-1— : 


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is* — w~ 

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L • •— 1 

-J —^— m— 


my dear, At morn-ing, at night, and all 


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days of the year. God bless you, God love 


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you, God keep you, my . . dear. 

The Bird’s Song 

Primer, Page 46 


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A lit - tie bird sat on a tree, 


i 




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To sing a song for you and me. 













































































MUSIC — PRIMER 


299 


Lullaby 

Primer, Page 68 




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m • —»— 

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Rock - a - by ba - by, Rock - a - by dear. 


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Rock - in the era - die, Moth - er is near. 


Song to the Virgin 


Primer, Page 71 



School Song 

Primer, Page 73 


1 J O 1 

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jt-ir n— 

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L• 


V 

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I like to go to school each day, 


pjl?--j— 


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J_i 

- II 


tb—T- 

J 

J -4 

L-S’-- m 

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For there I learn to sing and play. 

























































































300 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Song of the Rabbits 

Primer, Page 113 


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ft w v 




! ft 

r P 



jrs fr u i w 


i 1 





— m. — 

m m 


. 


Ten lit - tie rab - bits, All in a line; 



One fell down, Then there were nine. 


MUSIC FOR THE FIRST READER 


Balloons 


First Reader, Page 2 


Music by S. S. N. D. 



Bal- loons! Bal- loons! Bal- loons all new! 


"" JZ ij 



1R 



1 

& 13 

rr 




11 


l 1- m m 

C II 


Red ones, white ones, and blue ones too. 


Song of Gratitude 

First Reader, Page 11 

Words by Mary C. Austin Music by S. S. N. D. 


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r- -N —^1 


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Hu m 

p r m w • m m 

m -1 

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ai v .a 

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For each and ev - er - y lit - tie toy, 































































MUSIC —FIRST READER 


301 


- 


S ^ i- -N—i 


uM j ipp* \ 

i i II 




^ w w 


\L * 

\^~ m —4 _ m 

L_^_-1 


We thank our heav - en - ly Fa - ther. For 


1 

1 

J- 

4 

u 

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a "tl ' i r' 

& gm | I 



m m I 


[/ H w 

L 1 


w W r- 

ev - er - y - thing that we en - joy, 



—^—s- 


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a-# ^ 

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— 

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=t=—r- I I 


We thank our heav - en - ly Fa - ther. 


What Would You Do? 

First Reader, Page 28 

Words by Mary C. Austin Music by S. S. N. D. 

If I were a bird - ie, 



~A s . ~w~ 

r-P 4s= 

Wt -- 

I would sing 

--—m -P >— 

a sweet song; If 

P -- 

I were a 

=T3=^h 

— 

-N N-N ~T~TI 

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ba - by, I would play all day long. 






































































302 


TEACHERS’ MANUAL 


Night and Day 


First Reader, Page 73 

Words by Mary Mapes Dodge Music by S. S. N. D. 


-IS- 

V - * 

r~t— 

III] 


TTf a h 

i J ' iS 

! —l li 

L - ... 

N fa 4» ' 

<m * 

9 m ' \ 

+ i m 

LA_ 

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When I. run a - bout all day, When 


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II 

(rjy “T m m * 



l+ 91 


h r 


1 IB 

I kneel at night to pray, God 

sees, God 

flP • 

sees. 


The Music Man 


First Reader, Page 93 

Words by Mary C, Austin Music by S. S. N. D. 


ns - s =i s 

= hs t =1 - 

thr** — * ——^—•- 

-P-« -<*- 


Lis - ten to the mu - sic man, 




p „ > - - 


-J ~ 

m - w -——i- 

: U ^ : 


Play - ing down the street; See the lit - tie 


Tr, is m i 


>-IS w , 

n 

-jeL-P W P | flllp 


— 1 S IS 

1 N» 

W 7 —i Li ^ 


IF -i-—1 

1 ^ || 

AJz 

F M 

-m U 


chii - dren run To the mu - sic sweet. 





















































MUSIC — FIRST READER 


303 


A Christmas Song 


First Reader, Page 111 

Words by Mrs. Chesterton Music by S. S. N. D. 



] N iw 

rq--S-q 

A\ r»lll 

Jtm H u*> 

^ W 


mr ® -1 

-h OP m i— 

- 

'TL m. 



How far is it to Beth - le-hem? Not 



ye - ry far. Shall we find the 



sta - ble room Lit by a star? 


The Guardian Angel 


First Reader, Page 147 

Words by Mary C. Austin Music by S. S. N. D. 


-fl-fcn 

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[dfZ=zr~^ 

-J -i 

“ar—- \ w m — 

i 

& m ^ 


f a r m 

w 

m V- 

...m 




w 

-U- 

- m - 


O dear - est an - gel,Guard and pro-tect me, 




V v 


II 


J T“ A 

L *- * — m— 

t- . / 

J. n 


From all dan - gers that come in the night. 















































































































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